Effect of xylazine administration before laparoscopic abomasopexy to correct left displaced abomasum on markers of stress in dairy cows

Comparison of plasma substance P concentrations in the blood of healthy male and female German Simmental calves

BACKGROUND

The recognition of pain is a major problem in cattle, as they are stoic animals which strongly mask their pain. Among objective parameters to assess pain in cattle is substance P (SP), a neurotransmitter which is involved in the pain pathways. Research about SP concentration in calves focus on painful procedures, such as castration and dehorning. Basic research work is lacking; evaluation of SP concentrations in healthy calves and possible differences between sexes have not been published yet. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe SP concentrations in healthy male and female calves of the German Simmental breed to establish benchmarks of orientation, (2) compare SP concentrations between male and female calves, and (3) assess differences in SP concentrations between calves and adult cows. A total of 44 male and 49 female calves aged 14 to 21 days (17.1 ± 2.2 days) were included in this study. Blood samples were taken at 06:00 a.m. from the jugular vein, followed by a clinical examination. SP concentrations were analyzed using a commercial ELISA kit. Differences in SP concentrations according to laboratory parameters, and correlation of SP concentrations with different parameters were assessed.

RESULTS

Median SP concentrations in the blood plasma were 516 pg/ml (Interquartile Range 320 pg/ml, range 229-1615 pg/ml) in calves. Median SP concentrations differed significantly between male and female calves (554 pg/ml for male, and 489 pg/ml for female calves, respectively). There was no significant difference in animals with laboratory findings within reference ranges and those with mild deviations from reference ranges. There was a positive correlation between SP concentrations and leucocyte count, which was significant. SP concentrations were significantly lower in calves compared with a dataset of adult cows, which has been published previously.

CONCLUSION

Due to the high interindividual differences in SP concentrations, it is hard to establish benchmarks for orientation. Sex has a significant influence on SP concentrations. Research work should preferably be done in animals of the same sex. Also, animals should be within the same age range (adults or calves), as age seems to have an influence on SP concentrations.

The role of endoscopy in bovine internal medicine - A review of current indication fields

Endoscopy in bovine internal medicine has come a long way from the first profound research papers in the 1980s to its present-day use. This paper reviews the progress in the 2000s and identifies the main application fields for diagnostic and therapeutic use. Inclusion criteria for scientific papers and reports encompassed focus on endoscopic examination techniques in cattle in the field of internal medicine and publication in a peer reviewed journal (case report/review/original research paper/short communication). Only papers written in English or German language were considered. Studies on laparoscopy, theloscopy, and bronchoscopy show that endoscopic approaches often enable more rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatment options for single diseased animals as well as on a herd level. Oesophagoscopy, rumenoscopy, cystoscopy and thoracoscopy have also been increasingly studied and proven to be safe and effective tools with some limitations in diagnosing and/or treating various diseases in cattle. Scientific approaches explored the epidural space in cattle and comparison of different endoscope systems lead to recommendations for sinuscopy. Yet, this narrative literature review clearly shows that unlike in human medicine, where endoscopy as a minimally invasive technique is used for countless routine procedures every day, there is still some catching up to do in bovine medicine even though the potential of endoscopy in this field has been documented.

Evaluation of Substance P concentrations in the blood plasma of jugular and tail vein of healthy German Simmental cows

BACKGROUND

Cattle strongly mask their pain, making the recognition and assessment of pain difficult. Different subjective and objective parameters to assess pain have been described. Substance P (SP), which is a neurotransmitter, is used to objectively evaluate nociception in cattle. However, SP concentrations have mainly been described in diseased animals, or animals subjected to painful procedures. To this day, no evaluation of SP in healthy adult cattle has been published. The objectives of this pilot study were to 1) assess the SP concentrations in healthy adult German Simmental cattle in the blood plasma, 2) compare the concentrations between the blood of the jugular and the tail vein, and 3) assess the concentrations in the blood of the tail vein every 6 h over a period of 24 h. A total of 52 healthy cattle of the German Simmental breed were included in this study. Animals were 5.0 ± 1.3 (mean ± SD) years old and between 117 and 239 (175.0 ± 34.1) days in milk. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein (BJV, 07:45 a.m.) and the tail vein (TV1, 08:00 a.m.) each. Additional blood samples were taken every 6 h over the course of 24 h from the tail vein (TV2 - TV5). SP concentrations were analyzed using a commercial ELISA kit.

RESULTS

Mean (± SD) and median SP concentrations were 1.087 ± 436 pg/ml and 984 pg/ml for BJV (range 502 - 2,337 pg/ml), and 920 ± 402 pg/ml and 818 pg/ml for TV1 (range 192 - 2,531 pg/ml), respectively. There was a significantly positive correlation between SP concentrations of BJV and TV1. SP concentrations between BJV and TV1 were significantly different, as were SP concentrations in the tail vein between sampling times over the course of 24 h.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show that blood samples to assess SP concentrations in cattle can be taken from the jugular as well as from the tail vein. There are high variations in concentrations between animals, and it is hard to define reference ranges for SP in healthy animals. Repeated blood samples should not be taken by repeated punctation of a vein but by use of a jugular vein catheter, which is a major limitation of the present study.

Substance P concentrations in the blood plasma and serum of adult cattle and calves during different painful procedures and conditions - a systematic review

Background

Pain in cattle is a major welfare problem, as cattle mask their pain. Subjective and objective parameters to assess pain in cattle have been described. Among the objective parameters to evaluate pain in cattle is substance P (SP). SP is a neurotransmitter, which is involved in the processing of noxious information to the brain; it seems to be a more objective indicator for nociception than cortisol, which has long been used as a biomarker for pain and stress in cattle. The objective of this systematic review was to assess the existing literature about SP during painful procedures, conditions, and diseases in cattle in form of a systematic review.

Results

Following the PRISMA statement, 36 out of 236 studies were included in this systematic review. Study design, grouping, age and weight of animals, processing of blood samples for the assessment of SP, and results were heterogenous. The largest number of studies originated from the United States of America and Canada and were published in 2018. A higher number of studies were done on calves (69.4%, n = 25) compared with adult cattle (30.6%, n = 11). Most studies were done to assess SP concentrations after administration of analgesics prior to husbandry procedures in calves.

Conclusions

There is a manageable number of studies assessing SP concentrations during painful procedures, conditions, and diseases in cattle. SP seems to be a suitable biomarker for nociception in cattle, but results of research work are heterogenous, and SP concentrations of calves and adult cattle differ throughout studies. Basic research work is missing and is needed to assess factors others than nociception which might influence the SP concentrations in the blood plasma.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-022-03304-6.

Left displacement of the third gastric compartment in an alpaca: the first case report in China

Background

Left displacement of the third gastric compartment (LDC3) in alpacas is an extremely rare condition and has not been reported thus far. Therefore, we describe the clinical diagnosis and treatment of LDC3 in an alpaca.

Case presentation

A 2-year-old brown female alpaca (Vicugna pacos) was presented to evaluate a 3-day history of abdominal distension causing loss of both appetite and thirst, along with oliguria and low to no defecation. Clinical examination, X-ray examination, surgical exploration, and determination of gastric pH (pH ~ 2.35) confirmed that LDC3 resulted in abdominal distension. The gastric wall of the displaced third gastric compartment was incised for the expulsion of pneumatosis, and a medical-grade silicone tube was inserted into the incision to remove the effusion by siphoning. Surgical treatment proved to effectively alleviate the abdominal distension caused by LDC3 without apparent side effects.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this case is the first known report of LDC3 in an alpaca in China. A similar condition, left displaced abomasum, has previously been described in cattle and sheep.

Methods for Pain Assessment in Calves and Their Use for the Evaluation of Pain during Different Procedures-A Review

The evaluation and assessment of the level of pain calves are experiencing is important, as the experience of pain (e.g., due to routine husbandry procedures) severely affects the welfare of calves. Studies about the recognition of pain in calves, and especially pain management during and after common procedures, such as castration, dehorning, and disbudding, have been published. This narrative review discusses and summarizes the existing literature about methods for pain assessment in calves. First, it deals with the definition of pain and the challenges associated with the recognition of pain in calves. Then it proceeds to outline the different options and methods for subjective and objective pain assessment in calves, as described in the literature. Research data show that there are several tools suitable for the assessment of pain in calves, at least for research purposes. Finally, it concludes that for research purposes, various variables for the assessment of pain in calves are used in combination. However, there is no variable which can be used solely for the exclusive assessment of pain in calves. Also, further research is needed to describe biomarkers or variables which are easily accessible in the field practice.

The Effect of Stress on Reproduction and Reproductive Technologies in Beef Cattle-A Review

Researchers have contributed by increasing our understanding of the factors affecting reproduction in beef, mainly physical health and nutrition aspects, which have been main concerns during decades. Animal welfare is of outmost relevance in all animal production systems and it is strongly associated to stress. Stress responses involve endocrine, paracrine and neural systems and the consequences of this stress on the reproductive efficiency of specifically, beef cattle and bulls, need to be highlighted. We, therefore, describe the fundamentals of stress and its quantification, focusing in beef herds, reviewing the highly valuable pieces of research, already implemented in this field. We examine major factors (stressors) contributing to stress in beef cattle and their effects on the animals, their reproductive performance and the success of reproductive biotechnologies. We include terms such as acclimatization, acclimation or temperament, very relevant in beef systems. We examine specifically the management stress due to handling, social environment and hierarchy or weaning effects; nutritional stress; and thermal stress (not only heat stress) and also review the influence of these stressors on reproductive performance and effectiveness of reproductive biotechnologies in beef herds. A final message on the attention that should be devoted to these factors is highlighted.