Early life indicators predict mortality, illness, reduced welfare and carcass characteristics in finisher pigs

The objective of this study was to investigate associations between early life indicators, lactation management factors and subsequent mortality, health, welfare and carcass traits of offspring. A total of 1016 pigs from a batch born during one week were used. During lactation, number of liveborn piglets, stillborn and mummies, sow parity, number of times cross-fostered, weaning age, birth and weaning body weight (BW) were collected. Mortality was recorded throughout the offspring production cycle. Prior to slaughter, pigs were scored for lameness (1=non-lame to 3=severely lame). At slaughter, tail lesions were scored (0=no lesion to 4=severe lesion) and cold carcass weight (CCW), lean meat%, presence of pericarditis and heart condemnations were recorded. Additionally, lungs were scored for pleurisy (0=no lesions to 4=severely extended lesions) and enzootic pneumonia (EP) like lesions. There was an increased risk of lameness prior to slaughter for pigs born to first parity sows (P<0.05) compared with pigs born to older sows. Sow parity was a source of variation for cold carcass weight (P<0.05) and lean meat% (P<0.05). Pigs born in litters with more liveborn pigs were at greater risk of death and to be lame prior to slaughter (P<0.05). Pigs that were cross-fostered once were 11.69 times, and those that were cross-fostered ≥2 times were 7.28, times more likely to die compared with pigs that were not cross-fostered (P<0.05). Further, pigs that were cross-fostered once were at greater risk of pericarditis and heart condemnations compared with pigs that were not cross-fostered (P<0.05). Pigs with a birth BW of <0.95kg were at higher mortality risk throughout the production cycle. There was an increased risk of lameness, pleurisy, pericarditis and heart condemnations (P<0.05) for pigs with lower weaning weights. Additionally, heavier pigs at weaning also had higher carcass weights (P<0.05). There was an increased risk of lameness for pigs weaned at a younger age (P<0.05). Males were 2.27 times less likely to receive a score of zero for tail biting compared with female pigs. Results from this study highlight the complex relationship between management, performance and disease in pigs. They confirm that special attention should be given to lighter weight pigs and pigs born to first parity sows and that cross-fostering should be minimised.

Prognostic indicators of poor outcome in horses with laminitis at a tertiary care hospital

This retrospective study investigated the factors associated with a poor outcome (death by euthanasia or from other causes) in horses treated for laminitis at a tertiary care hospital. Cases (n = 247) were defined as patients with laminitis that were euthanized or that died of other causes during hospitalization. Controls (n = 344) were patients with laminitis that survived to be discharged from the hospital. In the final multivariate analysis, the factors significantly associated with an increased risk for death and their respective odds ratios (OR) were as follows: Thoroughbred (OR = 1.57); racehorse (OR = 1.76); treatment with flunixin meglumine (OR = 1.76); vascular pathology (OR = 2.12); distal displacement of the third phalanx (OR = 2.68); pneumonia (OR = 2.87); and lameness of Obel grade II (OR = 2.99), grade III (OR = 9.63), or grade IV (OR = 20.48). The use of glue-on shoes significantly reduced the risk for death (OR = 0.36).

Dairy cow mortality. A review

We reviewed the literature to give an overview over the mortality among dairy cows in countries with a relatively intensive dairy production. A total of 19 studies focussing on dairy cow mortality were identified. Information about objectives, measures of mortality, sample sizes, study designs, causes of death and risk factors from these studies is presented and discussed. Additionally, recommendations for future recordings of mortality that will enable better possibilities for comparison of study results, generalization of results from a study population to a larger population and meta-analysis are given.

Association between costly veterinary-care events and 5-year survival of Swedish insured warmblooded riding horses

Our objective was to estimate the 5-year survival to death in insured warmblooded riding horses (as reflected by a life-insurance claim) in horses with or without at least one costly veterinary-care event (VCE) in 1997. We also determined the impacts of gender, age, previous diagnosis of veterinary claim, geographic variables, cost for veterinary claims and life-insurance value upon the survival. The design was a retrospective cohort study using a population of warmblooded riding horses insured in a Swedish animal-insurance company (Agria Insurance, P.O. 70306, SE-107 23 Stockholm, Sweden) in 1997. All horses in this population had insurance both for veterinary-care and life ("complete" insurance reimbursing the insurance holder for most medical problems). We followed two cohorts (2,495 horses with > or = 1 VCE and 15,576 horses with no VCE in year 1997). The median VCE cost in horses with > or =1 VCE was 3,800 SEK, with 10th and 90th percentiles of 1,400 and 11,400 SEK respectively. In total 944 of the 2,495 horses (38%) in the VCE-positive cohort and 2,962 of the 15,576 horses (19%) in the VCE-negative cohort had died (had a settled life-insurance claim) after the follow-up time. An exponential-regression model showed that geldings had a higher risk of claimed death compared to mares and mares had a higher risk compared to stallions. The risk of death increased linearly with age. The risk of death increased with increasing life-insurance value. Horses with previous lameness had the lowest survival, and for high-cost claims this increased risk was not associated with age.

Locomotive Disorders Associated with Sow Mortality in Danish Pig Herds

Given the increase in sow mortality in Danish pig herds over the last 10 years, we have investigated the causes of spontaneous death and killing of sows, especially those due to locomotive disorders. A total of 265 culled sows (93 spontaneously dead sows and 172 killed sows) from 10 different herds were sent for complete necropsy, and grouped according to primary diagnoses. From 35 of these sows, tissue for histological evaluation and samples for bacteriological cultivation were also collected, and secondary diagnoses and body condition were recorded. The main causes for killing were related to the locomotive system (72%), arthritis (24%) and fractures (16%) being the most frequent lesions. The main causes of spontaneous death were related to the gastrointestinal system and spleen (45%) and the reproductive system (24%). Arthrosis was a secondary diagnosis in 88% of the killed sows and in 92.5% of the spontaneously dead sows. Arcanobacterium pyogenes was the main cause of arthritis. The killed sows had significantly lower body condition compared with spontaneously dead sows. The first two parities and the time around farrowing were associated with the highest mortality in both groups. Hopefully, these observations can guide breeding units attempting to monitor, control and reduce sow mortality.

Evaluation of patterns of removal and associations among culling because of lameness and sow productivity traits in swine breeding herds

OBJECTIVE

To characterize patterns of removal and evaluate the associations among culling because of lameness and sow productivity traits among culled gilts and sows.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SAMPLE POPULATION

Data from a convenience sample of 11 farms pertaining to the removal of 51,795 gilts and sows from January 1991 to December 2002. Mean culling and mortality (death and euthanasia) rates for all inventoried gilts and sows ranged from 23% to 50% and 4.7% to 9.5%, respectively.

PROCEDURE

An analysis of categories of removal (cull, death, or euthanasia) and reasons for removal of gilts and sows was performed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine associations among culling because of lameness and sow productivity traits among culled gilts and sows.

RESULTS

Among sows that were removed, the proportion of parity > or = 1 sows that died (both death and euthanasia) was > 3 times the proportion of parity > or = 1 sows that were culled within 20 days after farrowing. Among lame sows that were removed, the proportion of parity > or = 1 sows that died (death and euthanasia) was higher than the proportion of parity > or = 1 sows that were culled within 20 days after farrowing. Among sows that were removed, the proportion of sows that died (deaths and euthanasia) was higher during lactation than nonlactation. This was also observed among lame sows that were removed.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The proportion of death among removed sows, especially lame sows, was higher during lactation than nonlactation. Results indicated that risk of death is not the same for sows throughout their lifetime.

Effect of Lameness on Culling in Dairy Cows

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of lameness on dairy cow survival. Cox's proportional hazards regression models were fitted to single-lactation data from 2520 cows in 2 New York State dairy herds. Models were controlled for the time-independent effects of parity, projected milk yield, and calving season, and for the time-dependent effects of lameness and culling. Other common diseases were found to be nonconfounding and so were not included in any of the final models. Survival was measured as the time from calving until death or sale. Cows were censored if they reached the start of the next lactation or end of the study, whichever occurred first. All models were stratified by herd. For all lameness diagnoses combined, survival in the herd decreased for those cows becoming lame during the first half of lactation, with a hazard ratio of up to 2 times that of a nonlame cow. Foot rot diagnosed during the second or third months of lactation decreased survival during the same time period (hazard ratio=5.1; 95% confidence interval=1.6 to 16.2). Sole ulcers diagnosed in the first 4 mo of lactation decreased survival in several subsequent periods in which the strongest association was between diagnosis in the third and fourth months of lactation and exit from the herd during that same period (hazard ratio=2.7; 95% confidence interval=1.3 to 6.0). Foot warts were not associated with decreased survival in this analysis. Lameness was never associated with increased survival in any of the models.

Culling rate of Icelandic horses due to bone spavin

A survival analysis was used to compare the culling rate of Icelandic horses due to the presence of radiographic and clinical signs of bone spavin. A follow-up study of 508 horses from a survey five years earlier was performed. In the original survey 46% of the horses had radiographic signs of bone spavin (RS) and/or lameness after flexion test of the tarsus. The horse owners were interviewed by telephone. The owners were asked if the horses were still used for riding and if not, they were regarded as culled. The owners were then asked when and why the horses were culled. During the 5 years, 98 horses had been culled, 151 had been withdrawn (sold or selected for breeding) and 259 were still used for riding. Hind limb lameness (HLL) was the most common reason for culling (n = 42). The rate of culling was low up to the age of II years, when it rose to 0.05 for horses with RS. The risk ratio for culling was twice as high for horses with RS compared with horses without RS and 5.5 times higher for culling because of HLL. The risk of culling (prognostic value) was highest for the combination of RS with lameness after flexion test, next highest for RS and lowest for lameness after flexion test as the only finding. It was concluded that bone spavin affects the duration of use of Icelandic horses and is the most common cause of culling due to disease of riding horses in the age range of 7-17 years.

Mortality (including euthanasia) among Danish dairy cows (1990–2001)

Mortality among Danish dairy cows was examined using data from the Danish Cattle Database (DCD) and a questionnaire survey. Mortality risk has increased from approximately 2% in 1990 to approximately 3.5% in 1999. The increased mortality was seen for all dairy breeds and all age groups. Mortality among older dairy cows (parity 3 and older) was approximately twice the mortality among younger cows. 30-40% of deaths were during the first 30 days of the lactation. Approximately, 58% of dead dairy cows had been euthanised. Replies from the questionnaire indicate that the proportion of euthanised cows has increased in the past 5 years. In 86% of all deaths (questionnaire survey) a primary reason could be identified; 25% were for locomotor disorders.

The Michigan equine monitoring system. II. Frequencies and impact of selected health problems

A prospective study was designed to document the frequencies of equine health problems in the state of Michigan, USA. A total of 2469 horses from a random sample of 138 equine operations were monitored in the study in two 12-month periods: 1992-1993 and 1993-1994. All the major breeds of horses in the state were proportionately represented in the sample. Using weighted annual incidence densities as measures of disease frequencies, the 10 most frequently observed groups of health problems were (from most to least frequent) leg lameness, dermatological problems, respiratory problems, hoof and foot problems, reproductive problems, systemic problems, colic, whole body lameness, neurological problems and gastrointestinal problems (other than colic). This ranking of the top 10 health problems was different from the ranking provided by equine owners/operators at the beginning of the study. Overall, very low specific mortality rates were observed in the study. However, the conditions that were associated with mortality resulted in fairly high case fatalities. The five specific illnesses that most commonly resulted in fatalities were (from greatest to least case fatality risk) systemic problems, colic, gastrointestinal problems (other than colic), neurological problems, and foot and hoof problems. Impact of disease was evaluated in terms of average duration of a case and days lost for performance. Neurological problems, lameness and dermatological problems had the longest duration per case. Neurological problems, lameness, respiratory problems and gastrointestinal problems (other than colic) had the longest average days lost per case.

Culling in 50 dairy herds in England

A survey of 50 Friesian/Holstein dairy herds (average size 178 cows) in England investigated the rate of culling and the reasons for disposal and death over three years from 1990 to 1992. The average total annual culling rate was 23.8 per cent (22.0 per cent sold and 1.8 per cent died). Of the disposals, 54 per cent were culled by the end of their fourth lactation. Poor fertility was the most important reason for culling (36.5 per cent of disposals), followed by management policy (11.5 per cent), mastitis (10.1 per cent), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) (7.4 per cent) and lameness (5.6 per cent). The most common causes of death were mastitis (8.9 per cent) and BSE (11.5 per cent), but 46 per cent died for unknown reasons.

Causes of mortality among sows in Danish pig herds

The likely causes of sow mortality in Danish pig herds were investigated in a sample of 598 of the breeding animals delivered to a large rendering plant in the winter seasons of 1992 and 1993. In 263 cases information about the circumstances of the death or euthanasia and the herd characteristics were available, including the size of the herd, its health status, the age at weaning, the method of feeding and the use of straw for bedding. For these animals the distribution of likely causes of death or euthanasia was: leg weakness, 28.5 per cent; problems related to farrowing and late pregnancy, 20.9 per cent; disorders of the digestive system, 17.1 per cent; disorders of the urinary system, 13.1 per cent; physical injuries, 10.7 per cent; and other disorders, 9.5 per cent. For the other 335 sows the distribution of likely causes of death was: leg weakness, 16.1 per cent; problems related to farrowing and late pregnancy, 10.7 per cent; disorders of the digestive system, 21.2 per cent; disorders of the urinary system, 15.2 per cent; other disorders, 15.0 per cent; and unknown causes of death, 21.8 per cent. According to the official statistics from Danish rendering plants, more than 60,000 carcases of breeding pigs were processed during 1992, corresponding to a mortality rate of 5 to 6 per cent in the sow herds. The mortality rate appeared to increase with increasing herd size, and in herds with more than 100 sows the mortality rate was three times the mortality in herds with fewer than 50 sows. Compared with previous reports, the proportion of disorders involving the gastrointestinal system has increased during the past 20 years. Gastric dilation is particularly common, probably as a result of the intensification of pig production and the associated changes in management practises. The use of straw bedding was marginally significant (P = 0.06) and associated with a low frequency of gastrointestinal disorders.

A retrospective evaluation of laminitis in horses

Case records of 202 horses treated for laminitis were reviewed with the intent of determining the long-term outcome and correlating this with digital radiographic findings and with the degree of pain associated with the laminitis. At long-term follow-up 57 horses had returned to athletic soundness (Group 1), 20 horses were intermittently lame (Group 2), 19 horses had permanent severe lameness (Group 3), 97 were dead (Group 4), and 9 were lost to follow up. Using simple regression analysis, functional outcome did not correlate with the degree of rotation (R2 = 0.004) or the presence of distal displacement (R2 = 0.139). Functional outcome did correlate with the clinical grade of laminitis (R2 = 0.504). Horses in Group 1 had significantly less distal phalangeal rotation (5.89 +/- 6.48 degrees) than did horses in Group 2 (11.10 +/- 8.19) and Group 3 (14.50 +/- 10.80), but were not significantly different from Group 4 horses (7.49 +/- 6.57). Of 96 surviving horses, 23 had evidence of distal displacement compared with 54 of 97 non-survivors. Based on these results, horses that develop distal displacement of the distal phalanx are more likely to die than are horses without distal displacement; however, the presence or absence of distal phalangeal displacement and the degree of distal phalangeal rotation cannot be used to predict the outcome of a horse with laminitis. Clinical assessment is a more reliable means of determining the final outcome and should be given precedence over radiographic findings.