Development of a welfare assessment tool for tourist camp elephants in Asia.

Background: Approximately one-third of Asian elephants are managed under human care, participating in educational, cultural, religious, and tourist activities. Management conditions vary considerably among venues, raising questions about whether welfare needs are consistently being met, particularly for Asian tourist camp elephants. To evaluate the well-being of elephants engaged in tourist activities, an evidence-based tool is needed for routine assessments to identify potential welfare risks, aid in the development of better camp standards, and enable caretakers to address specific concerns.

Predictive Factors of Canine Malignant Hepatic Diseases with Multifocal Hepatic Lesions Using Clinicopathology, Ultrasonography, and Hepatobiliary Ultrasound Scores.

Multifocal hepatic lesions in dogs arise from various benign and malignant liver diseases. Diagnosing these lesions is challenging because clinical signs, hematological data, and serum biochemistry are not definitive indicators. Ultrasound is utilized as a diagnostic imaging tool to evaluate liver parenchyma and detect hepatic lesions.

Cadaveric Study on Comparison of Neck Extension Angles for Endotracheal Intubation in Rabbits Using a Rigid and Flexible Endoscope.

Endotracheal intubation in rabbits is always challenging due to the unique anatomical conformation. To improve endotracheal intubation success, this study determined the relationship between head placement angles guided by endoscope-assisted visualization techniques and the endotracheal intubation success rate. Thirty-two rabbit cadavers were used in the study.

Comparison of animal welfare assessment tools and methodologies: need for an effective approach for captive elephants in Asia.

Welfare is a fundamental aspect of animal management and conservation. In light of growing public awareness and welfare concerns about captive elephants, there is an urgent need for comprehensive, globally coordinated efforts for Asian elephants that participate in religious, logging, or tourist activities in range countries where the majority reside, and where welfare issues have been identified but not addressed. This review provides a comparative analysis of available animal assessment tools.

Physiological changes in captive elephants in northern Thailand as a result of the COVID-19 tourism ban-stress biomarkers.

The international travel ban instituted by the Thai government in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected how tourist camp elephants were managed, with reductions in exercise opportunities, longer chaining hours, and diminished food provisioning. This study was conducted to determine how those changes affected health and welfare biomarkers in individual elephants over the 2 years of the countrywide lockdown (April 2020-April 2022). Blood and fecal samples were collected from 58 elephants at six camps (monthly in Year 1, quarterly in Year 2) and analyzed for stress biomarkers - fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM), serum oxidative stress [malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)], and stress leukograms.

Physiological changes in captive elephants in Northern Thailand as a result of the COVID-19 tourism ban - muscle, liver, metabolic function, and body condition.

The international travel ban initiated in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected how captive elephants were managed in Thailand. A lack of tourists and associated income meant elephants were chained longer with reduced food provisions, had fewer mahouts, and limited exercise like riding, which likely affected health and welfare. Fifty-eight elephants from six tourist camps were assigned a body condition score (BCS) and blood samples were collected monthly for 2 years during the travel ban to measure: (1) muscle enzymes [creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)]; (2) liver enzymes [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)]; (3) lipids [total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low (LDL) and high (HDL) density lipoproteins]; and metabolic function [glucose, insulin, fructosamine].

Seasonal patterns of oxidative stress markers in captive Asian elephants in Thailand and relationships to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus shedding.

Introduction: Oxidative stress refers to an imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant activity and accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which can have detrimental effects on animal health. Annual fluctuations in oxidative stress status can occur, increasing disease susceptibility during certain time periods. However, a full understanding of factors related to oxidative stress in Asian elephants and how to mitigate the negative consequences is lacking.

Development of loop-mediated isothermal amplification for rapid detection of sporotrichosis caused by .

Background And Aim: is the causative agent of sporotrichosis, which most commonly causes lymphocutaneous infections in immunocompromised hosts. This pathogen infects dogs, cats, cattle, and buffaloes and can potentially infect humans. Diagnosis by fungal culture is lengthy, and although there are several clinical diagnoses and molecular methods, these are complicated and time-consuming for veterinarians.

Effect of Electroejaculation Protocols on Semen Quality and Concentrations of Testosterone, Cortisol, Malondialdehyde, and Creatine Kinase in Captive Bengal Tigers.

The Bengal tiger () is critically endangered, so assisted reproductive technologies, including artificial insemination, are important conservation tools. For wild and domestic felids, electroejaculation (EE) is the most common semen collection method, with protocols optimized to obtain sufficient amounts of viable sperm for artificial insemination. However, less attention has been paid to ensuring animal wellbeing during the process.

Measures of Oxidative Status Markers in Relation to Age, Sex, and Season in Sick and Healthy Captive Asian Elephants in Thailand.

Oxidative stress is a pathological condition that can have adverse effects on animal health, although little research has been conducted on wildlife species. In this study, blood was collected from captive Asian elephants for the assessment of five serum oxidative status markers (reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations; malondialdehyde, MDA; albumin; glutathione peroxidase, GPx; and catalase) in healthy ( = 137) and sick ( = 20) animals. Health problems consisted of weakness, puncture wounds, gastrointestinal distress, eye and musculoskeletal problems, and elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD).

Development of in-house ELISA for detection of antibodies against lumpy skin disease virus in cattle and assessment of its performance using a bayesian approach.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a contagious disease among cattle and buffalo worldwide. Currently, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been recognized as an efficient diagnostic tool that is less time-consuming and easier than the viral neutralization test to measure the antibody levels. In the present study, an in-house method of indirect ELISA was developed to detect the bovine antibodies against Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) and its performance was assessed using field samples.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and international travel ban on elephant tourist camp management in northern Thailand.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the tourism industry, especially in Thailand. Starting in April 2020, the Thai government banned international travel and all elephant tourist camps closed. A wide variety of management changes were implemented because of the lack of income from tourists.

Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of Lumpy Skin Disease Virus Collected from Outbreaks in Northern Thailand in 2021.

Understanding molecular epidemiology is essential for the improvement of lumpy skin disease (LSD) eradication and control strategies. The objective of this study was to perform a molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) isolated from dairy cows presenting LSD-like clinical signs in northern Thailand. The skin nodules were collected from 26 LSD-suspected cows involved in six outbreaks during the period from July to September of 2021.

Prevalence of from Pet Cats in Small Animal Hospitals, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Dermatophytosis is a disease caused by dermatophytes, a group of fungi that can cause disease both in humans and animals. The important genera that are pathogenic in animals include and is an important species because it can cause zoonosis and is commonly found in domestic animals. Cats, which live very close to humans, may expose humans to this pathogen.

Disseminated histiocytic sarcoma in Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus).

This case study had focused on a male, 7-year-old Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) with a history of biting its tail and the development of skin masses around its inguinal area, prior to its death. Macroscopically, multiple firm white nodular masses of 0.5-5 cm in diameter were found in the subcutis of the inguinal area, and in the lungs, spleen and liver.

Identification of potential canine mammary tumour cell biomarkers using proteomic approach: Differences in protein profiles among tumour and normal mammary epithelial cells by two-dimensional electrophoresis-based mass spectrometry.

Canine mammary tumours (CMTs) are regarded as invasive with a high rate of recurrent and metastasis in intact female dogs. Tumour diagnosis, therefore, is an important step in predicting and monitoring tumour progression. This study was designed to identify protein expression on CMTs by employing a proteomic approach.