Changes in eating time, chewing activity and dust concentration in horses fed either alfalfa cubes or long-stem hay.

Background: Chewing is an essential physiological process in horses; yet, the physical form of feeds may affect their chewing and feeding behaviour with consequences for equine digestion and health.

Objectives And Methods: The present study evaluated the potential of a commercial forage cubes made from alfalfa and mixed meadow grasses to maintain chewing activity when compared with a traditional long and fibre-rich hay. An additional aim was to measure the dust formation during feeding.

Cats at the Vet: The Effect of Alpha-s1 Casozepin.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of α-s1 casozepin on cat stress responses at a veterinary practice. Cats feel confident in their familiar surroundings and daily routine. A visit, and transport, to the veterinarian is a stressful experience for cats and their owners.

Effects of supplementation of chromium histidinate on glucose, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in cats.

In recent years, two meta-analyses of chromium (Cr) supplementation have shown beneficial effects on glucose metabolism. Chromium histidinate (CrHis) reduces serum glucose levels in rats fed a high-fat diet but no study has been conducted on cats until now. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of CrHis on glucose and lipid metabolism in cats.

Efficacy of plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration as a marker for diabetes mellitus in acutely sick cats.

Urine ketone measurement is routinely performed in cats with diabetes mellitus to identify impending or established ketoacidosis. Studies using the urinary ketone dipstick test have shown that ketonuria is common in cats with newly diagnosed untreated diabetes mellitus. This test has a low sensitivity as it quantifies the less abundant ketone acetoacetate.

Relative importance of factors influencing the prevalence of lameness in Austrian cubicle loose-housed dairy cows.

The development of lameness is influenced by a number of different factors (housing, management, human-animal relationship and animal-related parameters). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the complex interactions of these aspects and to search for the relative importance of single factors. In 80 dairy herds of Austrian Simmental cows housed in cubicle loose housing in Upper and Lower Austria, risk factors for lameness, selected from the four factor groups housing, management, human-animal relationship and animal-related variables, were investigated during one farm visit in the autumn and winter months.

Dietary NaCl does not affect blood pressure in healthy cats.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of dietary salt intake on systolic blood pressure, water intake, urine output, and urine concentration in cats. Ten healthy young adult cats (mean age 2.5 years) were randomly divided into 2 groups and fed either a control diet (0.