Extended lactations in dairy cows and the effects on fertility and production.

Extending lactation length reduces the frequency of critical calving events for the cow and herewith reduces the frequency of periods with increased risk for health problems. Moreover, breeding is postponed until a moment later in lactation, which is associated with better conception rates and less days open after start of the breeding period in most studies. Potential risks of an extended lactation are that milk yield of cows at the end of the lactation may be too low which may lead to cows being overconditioned at the end of the extended lactation.

Time profiles of energy balance in dairy cows in association with metabolic status, inflammatory status, and disease.

The early lactation period in dairy cows is characterized by complex interactions among energy balance (EB), disease, and alterations in metabolic and inflammatory status. The objective of this study was to cluster cows based on EB time profiles in early lactation and investigate the association between EB clusters and inflammatory status, metabolic status, oxidative stress, and disease. Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (n = 153) were selected and monitored for disease treatments during wk 1 to 6 in lactation.

Effects of calving interval of dairy cows on development, metabolism, and milk performance of their offspring.

Extending the voluntary waiting period (VWP) for insemination in dairy cows is of interest as a strategy to reduce the frequency of calving events and inseminate at a moment with fewer fertility problems. Little is known about the calves born from dams with a different VWP followed by a different calving interval (CInt). The objective of the current study was to identify the effect of dam's CInt on body condition, metabolic status, and milk production of their offspring from birth until 100 DIM of the offspring's first lactation.

[The value of re-evaluation and thorough family history taking for the diagnostic work-up of chorea].

The differential diagnosis of chorea encompasses a broad range of disorders. In psychiatry, tardive dyskinesia may be difficult to discern from other causes, particularly when the family history is negative. A 59-year-old man with an unclear medical history had been using risperidone for over a decade when we first saw him.

Bronchogenic cyst with concurrent chronic suppurative bronchopneumonia in a 10-year-old German shepherd dog.

A 10-year-old spayed female German shepherd dog was transferred for acute respiratory distress and a bulla-like pulmonary lesion identified on referral radiographs. Computed tomography (CT) imaging identified a bronchiole from a dilated left cranial lobar bronchus terminating into a partially fluid-filled, cyst-like pulmonary lesion and surrounding multilobar pulmonary hyperattenuation. After failure of medical management, a left cranial lung lobectomy was done.

Development of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Nitrofurantoin in Rabbits, Rats, and Humans.

Nitrofurantoin (NFT) is a commonly used antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections that can cause liver toxicity. Despite reports of hepatic adverse events associated with NFT exposure, there is still limited understanding of the interplay between NFT exposure, its disposition, and the risk of developing liver toxicity. In this study, we aim to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for NFT in three different species (rabbits, rats, and humans) that can be used as a standard tool for predicting drug-induced liver injury (DILI).

Effect of voluntary waiting period on metabolism of dairy cows during different phases of the lactation.

An extended calving interval (CInt) by extending the voluntary waiting period (VWP) could be associated with altered metabolism in dairy cows. The aim of this study was first to evaluate the effects of VWP on metabolism and body condition during the first 305 d after the first calving in the experiment (calving 1), around the end of the VWP, and during pregnancy (280 d before calving 2). Second, the effects of the VWP on metabolism were determined from 2 wk before until 6 wk after calving 2.

Vaccination from the early second trimester onwards gives a robust SARS-CoV-2 antibody response throughout pregnancy and provides antibodies for the neonate.

Objectives: Preventive measures against COVID-19 are essential for pregnant women. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to emerging infectious pathogens due to alterations in their physiology. We aimed to determine the optimum timing of vaccination to protect pregnant women and their neonates from COVID-19.

discospondylitis in 33 dogs.

Objective: To describe the clinical and imaging findings of 33 dogs with discospondylitis (BDS).

Animals: 33 client owned dogs from four veterinary specialty hospitals within Colorado and Arizona with at least one positive test and spinal diagnostic imaging.

Procedures: Retrospective review of signalment, physical and neurological examination findings, laboratory results, serology, and diagnostic imaging of 33 dogs with BDS.

Consequences of extending the voluntary waiting period for insemination on reproductive performance in dairy cows.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of extended voluntary waiting period (VWP) on ovarian cyclicity and reproductive performance of dairy cows. Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (N = 154) were blocked and randomly assigned to one of 3 groups with different VWP (50, 125 or 200 d: VWP-50, VWP-125 or VWP-200). Milk samples were collected 3 times a week and analysed for progesterone concentration.

Extending lactation length: consequences for cow, calf, and farmer.

Traditionally, a 1-yr calving interval is advised to farmers from an economical point of view, to realize a yearly peak in milk yield. A 1-yr calving interval, however, implies a yearly event of drying-off, calving and start of lactation, which are all associated with an increased risk for diseases and disorders. Deliberately extending the lactation length by extending the voluntary waiting period (VWP) for first insemination reduces the frequency of these challenging events.

What Is Your Diagnosis?

In collaboration with the American College of Veterinary Radiology.

Revenues and costs of dairy cows with different voluntary waiting periods based on data of a randomized control trial.

Based on modeling studies, a 1-yr calving interval for dairy cows is generally considered optimal from an economic point of view. Recently some dairy farmers are deliberately extending the voluntary waiting period for insemination (VWP) to extend the calving interval. Reasons to extend the VWP are to reduce the frequency of transitions such as dry-off and calving to improve health, to reduce labor associated with these transitions, and to reduce the number of surplus calves.

Effects of extended voluntary waiting period from calving until first insemination on body condition, milk yield, and lactation persistency.

A 1-yr calving interval (CInt) is usually associated with maximized milk output, due to the calving-related peak in milk yield. Extending CInt could benefit cow health and production efficiency due to fewer transition periods per unit of time. Extending CInt can affect lactation performance by fewer days dry per year, delayed pregnancy effect on milk yield, and greater milk solid yield in late lactation.

Fertility and milk production on commercial dairy farms with customized lactation lengths.

Drying-off, calving, and start of lactation are critical transition events for a dairy cow. As a consequence, most animal health issues occur during these periods. By extending the voluntary waiting period for first insemination after calving, calving interval (CInt) can be extended, with possible positive effects for fertility and health.

Dairy cow preference for access to an outdoor pack in summer and winter.

The aim of our study was to test the preference of freestall-housed dairy cows to access an outdoor deep-bedded open pack (versus remaining inside the freestall barn) in the summer and winter. A secondary aim was to investigate how preference for outdoor access influenced feeding, lying, and stall perching behavior. Eight groups of pregnant, lactating cows were tested in the summer and 9 groups in the winter.