Effects of Synbiotic Administration on Gut Microbiome and Fecal Bile Acids in Dogs with Chronic Hepatobiliary Disease: A Randomized Case-Control Study.

Alteration in the gut microbiome in human patients with chronic liver disease is a well-known pathophysiological mechanism. Therefore, it represents both a diagnostic and therapeutical target. Intestinal dysbiosis has also been identified in dogs with chronic liver disease, but clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of synbiotic administration are lacking.

Application of Microsatellites to Trace the Dairy Products Back to the Farm of Origin.

The increasing number of food frauds, mainly targeting high quality products, is a rising concern among producers and authorities appointed to food controls. Therefore, the development or implementation of methods to reveal frauds is desired. The genetic traceability of traditional or high-quality dairy products (i.

Renal carcinoma with metastatic spread in a tiger (Panthera tigris): morphological and immunohistochemical study.

A 12‑year‑old intact male Panthera tigris presented with pain and weight loss was euthanatized. Necroscopical examination revealed a neoplastic mass expanding to the left renal pelvis with metastatic dissemination to local lymph node, adrenal gland, and lung. Immunohistochemical characterization was performed revealing co‑expression of both cytokeratin and vimentin and negativity for both PAX8 and c‑KIT.

Surveys on Exposure to Reptile-Associated Salmonellosis (RAS) in the Piedmont Region-Italy.

Reptile-associated salmonellosis (RAS), infection in humans, is acquired through contact with reptiles. Reptiles have become popular pet animals, and RAS is likely to be an underestimated but growing problem. No epidemiological data about RAS are routinely collected in Italy.

Resistant and susceptible rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) lines show distinctive immune response to Lactococcus garvieae.

Lactococcosis is one of the main bacterial diseases affecting rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), with significant economic and sanitary repercussion. Vaccination and antibiotic treatments are commonly used to prevent and control the infection outbreaks; however, these strategies have some drawbacks including limited coverage, handling costs, induction of antibiotic resistance and chemical residues in the environment. Selective breeding programs represent a promising complementary approach for increasing fish disease resistance in commercial farms and some immunological parameters may be tentatively used as indirect indicators for this purpose.

Detection of polyphosphates in seafood and its relevance toward food safety.

Polyphosphates are permitted as food additives (Regulation EC No 1129/2011) but their undeclared utilisation is considered fraudulent. They improve water holding capacity of the seafood, preventing biochemical/physical changes during commercialization. The key objective of this study was the detection of polyphosphate in various seafood categories, by means of high-performance ion-exchange chromatography with suppressed conductometry (HPIEC-SCD) coupled to Q-Exactive Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS-Orbitrap).

Occurrence of perchlorate, chlorate and polar herbicides in different baby food commodities.

The incidence of endocrine disruptors, both possible (glyphosate and glufosinate), and demonstrated (perchlorate and chlorate), was estimated in baby food commodities (meat, fish, cheese, vegetable and fruit). Ion-chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry analysis of the 105 samples did not show traces of glyphosate, glufosinate or their metabolites, while in 10.5% of the samples a quantifiable amount of perchlorate was found.

A survey on zoo mortality over a 12-year period in Italy.

Background: The zoo is a unique environment in which to study animals. Zoos have a long history of research into aspects of animal biology, even if this was not the primary purpose for which they were established. The data collected from zoo animals can have a great biological relevance and it can tell us more about what these animals are like outside the captive environment.

Molecular Genetics Unveiled Unknown Family Relationships and Hybrids in an Ex-Situ Colony of African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus).

Genealogical relationships among colony members, inbreeding status, and presence of hybrids are crucial data that can assist zoo curators in captive colony management and decision-making on relocation for reproduction. This study employed molecular markers to study a large colony (n = 56) of African Penguin hosted in an Italian biopark. A panel of 15 STRs (single tandem repeats) was selected, and genotype data were analyzed using COLONY software to determine parentage relationships and compare the existing studbook information to a pedigree built from genetic analyses.

Efficient isolation on Vero.DogSLAMtag cells and full genome characterization of Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) by next generation sequencing.

The Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) genome from the first Mediterranean epidemic (1990-'92) is the only cetacean Morbillivirus that has been completely sequenced. Here, we report the first application of next generation sequencing (NGS) to morbillivirus infection of aquatic mammals. A viral isolate, representative of the 2006-'08 Mediterranean epidemic (DMV_IZSPLV_2008), efficiently grew on Vero.

Detection of Leptospira spp. in Water Turtle (Trachemys scripta) Living in Ponds of Urban Parks.

Urban parks are green areas of cities where families and children spend hours outside. Turtles often inhabit urban parks. However, even if the animals seem harmless, they may serve as both reservoirs or accidental hosts for different serotypes of spp.

Sex- and age-related variation in metal content of penguin feathers.

The presence of xenobiotics, such as metals, in ecosystems is concerning due to their durability and they pose a threat to the health and life of organisms. Moreover, mercury can biomagnify in many marine food chains and, therefore, organisms at higher trophic levels can be adversely impacted. Although feathers have been used extensively as a bio-monitoring tool, only a few studies have addressed the effect of both age and sex on metal accumulation.

First report of malignant catarrhal fever in a captive pudu (Pudu puda).

A male, six-year-old pudu (Pudu puda) from an Italian zoo was submitted for postmortem examination after sudden death. Necroscopy revealed non-suppurative bronchopneumonia and degeneration of the liver and haemorrhagic lesions of the thymus, pericardium and spleen. Microscopically, multifocal perivascular mononuclear cell infiltrates were observed in the kidneys, lungs, spleen, and the portal triads of the liver.

Sepsis and bacterial suppurative meningitis-meningoencephalitis in critically ill neonatal Piedmontese calves: clinical approach and laboratory findings.

Sepsis (S) and bacterial suppurative meningitis-meningoencephalitis (M-ME) are common causes of death in bovine neonates. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the prevalence of S and M-ME in critically ill neonatal Piedmontese calves. Critically ill animals up to 15 days old referred by practitioners were registered according to their status and subsequently assigned to clinical standardized score.

Association of an indel polymorphism in the 3'UTR of the caprine SPRN gene with scrapie positivity in the central nervous system.

The aim of this study was to analyse the SPRN genes of goats from several scrapie outbreaks in order to detect polymorphisms and to look for association with scrapie occurrence, by an unmatched case-control study. A region of the caprine SPRN gene encompassing the entire ORF and a fragment of the 3'UTR revealed a total of 11 mutations: 10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and one indel polymorphism. Only two non-synonymous mutations occurring at very low incidence were identified.

Development of a diagnostic diagram for rapid field assessment of acidosis severity in diarrheic calves.

Objective: To develop a diagnostic diagram for rapid field assessment of acidosis severity in diarrheic calves.

Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.

Animals: 148 Piedmontese calves (38 calves in preliminary experiments; 83 diarrheic calves and 27 healthy control calves in the primary experiment).

Late onset and rapid progression of cerebellar abiotrophy in a domestic shorthair cat.

A two-year-old male domestic shorthair cat was seen because of sudden onset of incoordination and tremors that had rapidly worsened over five days. Neurological examination revealed severe cerebellar ataxia, intention tremors and bilaterally decreased menace response. Blood work evaluation included a complete cell blood count (CBC), serum biochemistry profile, urinalysis, faecal flotation, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and retroviral testing.

Cachexia secondary to intracranial anaplastic (malignant) ependymoma in a boxer dog.

An eight-year-old female boxer was referred because of weight loss of several months' duration. On physical examination, cachexia was the only reported abnormality. Neurological symptoms were shown only in the last days preceding death and consisted of altered mental status, compulsive behaviour and left rear proprioception deficit.

Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid from 20 calves after storage for 24 hours.

Samples of CSF collected from 20 normal healthy calves were analysed either immediately or after having been stored for 24 hours at 4 degrees C in the presence of 11 per cent autologous serum. There were no significant differences between the total and differential cells counts of the fresh and stored samples, but there was a positive linear correlation between them. There were some morphological changes to the nuclei of the mononuclear cells in the stored samples.