Posterior Teats Research Articles

The possible role of haematophagous flies in the incidence of bovine teat papillomatosis.

The relationship between the incidence of bovine teat papillomatosis and the activity of haematophagous flies was investigated in Japan. A total of 15,737 flies consisting of 33 species were collected by dry ice-baited mosquito net (DMN) trap and a sweep net from udders of cattle. Simulium aokii (Takahasi) of Simuliidae (black flies) was the predominant species, followed by S. tobetsuense Ono and S. iwatense (Shiraki). Simulium aokii had the highest peak in October, followed by September. Numbers of blood spots from the bites per teat in nulliparous cattle were significantly correlated with numbers of S. aokii collected by DMN trap. Numbers of teats with warts and spots of blood from the bites per teat were significantly more abundant in anterior teats than posterior teats. The average incidence of teat papillomatosis in nulliparous cattle was significantly higher than that in parous cattle, and the highest incidence by month was in May, followed by April. Although bovine papillomavirus (BPV) DNA was not detected in flies examined, the presence of black flies and blood spots from their bites were associated with subsequent high incidence of growing warts. In particular, it would pay to give attention to species such as S. aokii that severely attack udders in the present locality. Further investigations for the detection of BPV DNA from flies parasitizing on teats are needed.

Case of Bovine’s Retained Placental (RP) Associated with a Subclinical Mastitis 3th Degree, Anémia and Parasitism

A 10-year-old black piebald cow is presented for persistence of the placenta, a sign of anemia plus a pitted coat and dejection. A transvaginal palpation plus a subclinical mastitis test of the 4 teats are performed showing an open cervix with 2 fingers plus a grade three subclinical mastitis of the right posterior teat. A hormonal medical intervention is carried out, allowing the expulsion of the placenta, the exploration of the cervix allowed the introduction of an intrauterine syringe. Antibiotic treatment, calcium therapy plus vitamin therapy based on vitamin A, vitamin E Selenium plus vitamin B12 plus antiparasitic treatment based on fenbendazole is implemented, allowing an improvement in the general condition and the absence of relapse during the 5 weeks of follow-up. According to the literature, this is the first published case of retained placenta/ parasitism/subclinical mastitis in a dairy cow in Algeria.

Evaluation of zootechnical parameters of piglets born and suckled from dams treated with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug after farrowing.

Farrowing is a precarious moment in pig production potentially associated with a wide range of ailments in sows and gilts, and often having a negative impact on pre-weaned piglet zootechnical performances. To evaluate zootechnical parameters of piglets born and suckled from dams treated postpartum with tolfenamic acid (TA) at a commercial farm. Dams were randomized to receive an intramuscular injection of 4% TA at 2 mg/kg body weight within 12 hours postpartum (TA group) or no inflammatory treatment (control group). Evaluated parameters included individual piglet live weight at birth (day 0); number of live piglets on day 2; mortality at weaning; and individual weight at weaning. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) transfer assessment was conducted in a subset of piglets stratified by suckling position. 81 dams and their litters were included (TA group: 20 sows, 21 gilts, 472 piglets; Control group: 20 sows, 20 gilts, 458 piglets), with IgG transfer assessment conducted in 80 piglets of 20 randomly selected dams (TA group: 40; Control group: 40). Piglet performances in the TA versus control groups, respectively, were: average daily gain 0.23 ± 0.06 versus 0.20 ± 0.06 kg (p < 0.05); weaned weight 6.32 ± 1.23 versus 5.50 ± 1.09 kg (p < 0.05); day 1 plasma IgG levels in piglets from gilts were 20.60 ± 3.78 versus 16.99 ± 4.23 µg/ml (p < 0.05); and mortality at weaning was 6.6% (31/472) versus 11.8% (54/458) (p < 0.05). The within-litter weaned weight variation in the TA group was not significant (p = 0.11) at 6.50 ± 1.11 kg in the anterior suckling position versus 6.76 ± 1.01 kg in the posterior teat suckling positions, while the difference was significant (p < 0.05) in the control group, at 5.61 ± 0.68 kg versus 5.37 ± 0.75 kg, respectively. Piglets in the TA group had statistically significant improved zootechnical performances, while their within-litter weaned weights did not differ significantly.

Comparison of the effectiveness of the means “Oxy Foam” and “Pre-Dip” in reducing the causative agents of mastitis on the skin of cows' teats

Although teat disinfection before milking has advantages, some producers believe the use of disinfectants to be unprofitable compared to qualitative teat processing using warm water with skin drying using paper towels. The aim of the work was to compare the effect of pre-milking treatment of cows' udders with Oxy Foam and Pre-Dip on the reduction of mastitis pathogens on the skin of teats cows on large dairy farms. The study was conducted in the winter-spring period on two dairy plants with a stable-free range cow breeding system. In the first group of animals: the right anterior and the right posterior teats of the udder were processed using disinfectant Oxy Foam and the left anterior and the left posterior teats were washed using warm water (control). Pre-milking treatment of the studied teats using disinfectant included foam application, keeping it for 30 seconds, and further wiping dry using disposable paper towels. In the second group of animals: the right teats were treated with Pre-Dip with the help of a cup by immersion with a subsequent exposure of 15 seconds. Swish from the skin of udder teats were taken using sterile tampons before the processing before milking and repeatedly after the end of the milking process. The ordinary treatment using warm water and drying using paper towels was found to reduce the number of microorganisms on the teat skin by 2.5 times (Р ≤ 0.001), while the use of disinfectant Oxy Foam – by 6.4 times (Р ≤ 0.001), and Pre-Dip – 4.8 times (Р ≤ 0.001). Herewith, treatment with water reduced the amount of hemolytic staphylococci on the teat skin – by 1.9 times (Р ≤ 0.01), disinfection using Oxy Foam – by 4.4 times (Р ≤ 0.001) to 13.2 ± 3.14 CFU/cm3 of the wash, and with Pre-Dip – 4 times (Р ≤ 0.001) to 14.6 ± 3.05 CFU/cm3 of wash. After using warm water, the number of pathogenic streptococcus reduced by 1.8 times (Р ≤ 0.01), and by 2.5 times (Р ≤ 0.001), when using Oxy Foam and Pre-Dip – 2.1 times (Р ≤ 0.001) to 7.5–8.9 CFU/cm3 of the wash. Microorganisms of Escherichia kind were well-removed with the use of ordinary -pre-milking treatment and were distinguished from the cow teat skin in single cases in the number of only a few cultures. Therefore, Oxy Foam based on hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid turned out to be a more effective means for treating the udder of cows before milking, compared to Pre-Dip with a content of 0.15 % of free iodine. Further research will be aimed at creating new domestic ecologically safe means for the pre-milking treatment of cow udders.

Examination of the presence and effect of udder edema in Holstein-Friesian cattle

Mastitis is the most common disease of dairy cows and the most expensive in terms of treatment. For this reason, great emphasis must be placed on its prevention. Based on literature sources, it can be said that there is a positive correlation between the prevalence of udder edema and the occurrence of mastitis. Our studies were carried out in a dairy farm in Csongrád-Csanád county. So far we have collected data from 64 cows with udder edema. The severity of udder edema was evaluated on a scale of 0–3 points one week before calving and for 3 weeks after calving. We observed that udder edema occurred in 78% of the studied cows at the time of the first calving. After calving, the length and diameter of the four udder teats were examined. Both anterior and posterior teats were shortened in severely edematous cows. When examining the diameter of the teat, we found that, depending on the severity of the edema, the anterior and posterior udder teats were 2.5 and 1.6 and 1.6 and 1.5 mm thicker respectively than those of cows without edema.

Genome-Wide Association Study Candidate Genes on Mammary System-Related Teat-Shape Conformation Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle.

In the dairy industry, mammary system traits are economically important for dairy animals, and it is important to explain their fundamental genetic architecture in Holstein cattle. Good and stable mammary system-related teat traits are essential for producer profitability in animal fitness and in the safety of dairy production. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study on three traits—anterior teat position (ATP), posterior teat position (PTP), and front teat length (FTL)—in which the FarmCPU method was used for association analyses. Phenotypic data were collected from 1000 Chinese Holstein cattle, and the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler Bovine 100K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) chip was used for cattle genotyping data. After the quality control process, 984 individual cattle and 84,406 SNPs remained for GWAS work analysis. Nine SNPs were detected significantly associated with mammary-system-related teat traits after a Bonferroni correction (p < 5.92 × 10−7), and genes within a region of 200 kb upstream or downstream of these SNPs were performed bioinformatics analysis. A total of 36 gene ontology (GO) terms and 3 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were significantly enriched (p < 0.05), and these terms and pathways are mainly related to metabolic processes, immune response, and cellular and amino acid catabolic processes. Eleven genes including MMS22L, E2F8, CSRP3, CDH11, PEX26, HAL, TAMM41, HIVEP3, SBF2, MYO16 and STXBP6 were selected as candidate genes that might play roles in the teat traits of cows. These results identify SNPs and candidate genes that give helpful biological information for the genetic architecture of these teat traits, thus contributing to the dairy production, health, and genetic selection of Chinese Holstein cattle.

Birth order, suckling behaviour and growth in piglets: a case study of the extreme delay in birth of two surviving piglets

In pigs, higher birth order is associated with higher mortality rate, with abnormal delays in birth as a rule result in a prenatal death. Here we present a case study of an extreme delay in birth of two surviving piglets (delayed piglets) which were born 15 h after the beginning of parturition and 12 h after the last piglet of the main episode of the parturition (n=12) was born. The rest of the observed litter was divided into early born (n=6, born within 80 min) and late born piglets (n=6, born within the next 80 min from the beginning of parturition). Suckling behaviour, survival and growth performance of piglets were studied in relation to birth order whereby special attention was given to the delayed piglets. In general, suckling stability tended to decrease with birth order with the delayed piglets having completely unstable suckling. In the first suckling, piglets predominantly chose posterior teats, but later, when suckling order was established, early born piglets preferentially sucked on the front half and the late born piglets on the back half of the udder. The delayed piglets suckled on the middle teats immediately after birth, but later they chose preferential teats on different parts of udder (2nd and 6th teat pair). Growth performance of delayed piglets was lower, although not significantly (probably due to small sample size), compared to the late and especially to the early born group. Despite an extraordinarily long delay in birth, there was no clear association with the suckling order and its stability, the birth/body weight and daily gain. However, survival of piglets after that long delay in birth itself represents an extraordinary phenomenon that we cannot explain.

Genome-wide association studies for the number of teats and teat asymmetry patterns in Large White pigs.

The number of teats is a morphological trait that influences the mothering ability of the sows and thus their reproduction performances. In this study, we carried out GWASs for the total number of teats and other 12 related parameters in 821 Italian Large White heavy pigs. All pigs were genotyped with the Illumina PorcineSNP60 BeadChip array. For four investigated parameters (total number of teats, the number of teats of the left line, the number of teats of the right line and the maximum number of teats comparing the two sides), significant markers were identified on SSC7, in the region of the vertnin (VRTN) gene. Significant markers for the numbers of posterior teats and the absolute difference between anterior and posterior teat numbers were consistently identified on SSC6. The most significant SNP for these parameters was an intron variant in the TOX high mobility group box family member 3 (TOX3) gene. For the other four parameters (absolute difference between the two sides; anterior teats; the ratio between the posterior and the anterior number of teats; and the absence or the presence of extra teats) only suggestively significant markers were identified on several other chromosomes. This study further supported the role of the VRTN gene region in affecting the recorded variability of the number of teats in the Italian Large White pig population and identified a genomic region potentially affecting the biological mechanisms controlling the developmental programme of morphological features in pigs.

Genome-wide association study for buffalo mammary gland morphology.

This research communication describes a genome-wide association study for Italian buffalo mammary gland morphology. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (AX-85117983, AX-8509475 and AX-85117518) were identified to be significantly associated with buffalo anterior teat length, posterior teat length and distance between anterior and posterior teat, respectively. Two significant signals for buffalo mammary gland morphology were observed in two genomic regions on the chromosome 10, and chromosome 20. One of the regions located on the chromosome 10 has the most likely candidate genes ACTC1 and GJD2, both of which have putative roles in the regulation of mammary gland development. This study provides new insights into the genetic variants of buffalo mammary gland morphology and may be beneficial for understanding of the genetic regulation of mammary growth.

Effects of tail docking and/or teeth clipping on behavior, lesions, and physiological indicators of sows and their piglets

To evaluate effects of tail docking and/or teeth clipping on sows and their piglets, a total of 24 sows and their 302 piglets at 3days of age were randomly allocated to one of four treatments: teeth clipping and tail docking (TCTD), teeth clipping (TC), tail docking (TD), or intact teeth and tail (Intact). Behavior of piglets and sows, lesions on the body and tail of piglets and sows' teats were inspected. Heart rates of processed piglets were increased (p<.01) during the procedures. Teeth clipping decreased body surface temperature (p<.01) of piglets during and after the procedures but tail docking did not (p>.01). Processed piglets spent more (p<.05) time lying alone and playing/fighting than sham-processed piglets. Tail docked piglets spent less (p<.01) time standing than tail sham-docked piglets. Intact teeth increased (p<.05) the avoidance behaviors of sows. Teeth clipping decreased (p<.05) the lesion scores on the anterior, middle, and posterior teats. Taken together, piglet teeth clipping had more impact on sows and their piglets than tail docking did in the lactation period based on our findings.

What is good for small piglets might not be good for big piglets: The consequences of cross-fostering and creep feed provision on performance to slaughter.

Major improvements in sow prolificacy have resulted in larger litters but, at the same time, increased the proportion of piglets born light weight. Different management strategies aim to enhance the performance of, and limit light-weight piglet contribution to, BW variation within a batch; however, consequences on heavy-weight littermates are often neglected. This study investigated the effects of different litter compositions, created through cross-fostering, and the provision of creep feed on preweaning behavior and short- and long-term performance of piglets born either light weight (≤1.25 kg) or heavy weight (1.50-2.00 kg). Piglets were cross-fostered at birth to create litters with only similar-sized piglets (light weight or heavy weight; UNIFORM litters) and litters with equal numbers of light-weight and heavy-weight piglets (MIXED litters); half of the litters were offered creep feed and the remaining were not. Piglet behavior during a suckling bout and at the creep feeder was assessed; a green dye was used to discern between consumers and nonconsumers of creep feed. The interaction between litter composition and birth weight (BiW) class influenced piglet BW at weaning ( < 0.001): piglets born light weight were lighter at weaning in MIXED litters than those in UNIFORM litters (6.93 vs. 7.37 kg); however, piglets born heavy weight performed considerably better in MIXED litters (8.93 vs. 7.96 kg). Total litter gain to weaning was not affected ( = 0.565) by litter composition. Teat position affected heavy-weight piglet performance by d 10 ( < 0.001), with heavy-weight piglets in UNIFORM litters being disadvantaged when suckling the middle and posterior teats. Creep feed provision did not affect BW at weaning ( > 0.05) for either BiW class. However, litter composition significantly affected daily creep feed consumption ( = 0.046) and fecal color ( = 0.022), with heavy-weight piglets in UNIFORM litters consuming the highest amount of creep feed and having the greenest feces. In addition, a lower number of heavy-weight piglets in UNIFORM litters were classified as nonconsumers ( = 0.002). The weight advantage heavy-weight and light-weight piglets had at weaning when reared in MIXED and UNIFORM litters, respectively, was sustained throughout the productive period. In conclusion, reducing BW variation within litter (UNIFORM litters) was beneficial for piglets born light weight but not for piglets born heavy weight; the latter were disadvantaged up to slaughter. Although heavy-weight piglets in UNIFORM litters consumed the greatest amount of creep feed, this was not able to overcome their growth disadvantage compared with heavy-weight piglets in MIXED litters.

Effect of birth weight, litter size and nipple position on growth of pigs during lactation and fattening

Este estudio se realizó para conocer el crecimiento en lactancia y engorda de lechones nacidos con bajo peso en 32 camadas de alta prolificidad, para lo cual se establecieron tres categorías de peso al nacer PBAJO, PMEDIO y PALTO y tres de tamaño de camada BAJA, MEDIA y ALTA; se identificó el pezón asegurado por el lechón durante el nacimiento y la lactancia, y se determinaron los efectos de dichas categorías en variables de peso y ganancia de peso durante la lactancia y la etapa de crecimiento; así como en la grasa dorsal, la profundidad del lomo y el rendimiento en canal a los 160 días. Las camadas de prolificidad ALTA tuvieron una mayor proporción de lechones de bajo peso (26 %) contra 4 % en camadas de BAJA prolificidad; los lechones de PBAJO demoraron más en succionar los pezones (50.37 min) que los de PMEDIO y PALTO (32.44 y 24.34 min respectivamente) y el 67 % de ellos se posicionaron en mayor proporción en los pezones posteriores de la cerda. Los lechones de PBAJO tuvieron menor ganancia de peso en lactancia, 181 g/día contra 211 y 240 g/día en categorías de PMEDIO y PALTO respectivamente, y menor peso a 160 días de edad (86.6 kg vs 95.7 y 101.1 kg). Se concluye que en camadas de alta prolificidad, los lechones de bajo peso tienen el desempeño productivo más bajo independientemente del tamaño de su camada al nacer y el pezón en el que lactaron.

Relationship of sow udder morphology with piglet suckling behavior and teat access

The aim of this study was to investigate if there is a relationship between the latency to the first suckling and udder and teat morphology and to assess the extent to which piglet and sow characteristics influence teat pair position preference. Udder morphology trait measurements, piglet suckling behavior, and sow productive and behavioral traits were recorded from a population of 74 Large White X Landrace sows of different parities. The interteat distance within the same row was larger between the teats that were suckled at the first contact with the udder compared with the unsuckled teats (P = 0.04). There was a tendency for piglets to suckle first from teats placed closer to the abdominal midline. A high proportion of siblings (64%) suckled for the first time on a teat previously chosen by another piglet. Most neonates suckled first from a teat located in the posterior part of the udder (41%) or in the anterior part (33%), rather than the middle section. Latency from birth to suckling and the time from the first udder contact to locate a teat and suckle was shorter for piglets first suckling the anterior (28:03 and 9:48 minutes) and posterior teats (26:31; 8:38 minutes) than for those sucking the midsection teats (34:30 minutes, F7,256 = 1.99, P = 0.05; 10:30, F7,256 = 2.37, P = 0.05). To avoid possible confounds, other potential causes of delay in successful suckling were studied. The latency to suckle was not influenced by piglet vitality score at birth, weight, or provision of human assistance to place it at the udder. It was shorter when the piglets were born later in the litter (P < 0.001), from a litter with a low incidence of piglets born dead (P = 0.001) and from a sow with an induced farrowing (P = 0.007). Moreover, there was a tendency for piglets born from a multiparous sow (P = 0.06) and in a large litter size (P = 0.07) to have a longer latency to find a teat and suckle once they had made the first contact with the udder. Although suckling itself is clearly an instinctive behavior, acquisition of colostrum depends on many variables, relating not only to piglet characteristics but to sow behavioral and morphological characteristics as well. Future studies on sow characteristics are therefore recommended.

Experimental study on the effect of oral meloxicam administration in sows on pre-weaning mortality and growth and immunoglobulin G transfer to piglets

Parturation is an intrinsically risky and painful process for both the sow and the piglets that can cause welfare and economic problems. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been demonstrated to partially alleviate inflammation and pain after farrowing in sows. NSAIDs effects on piglet mortality and performance show discrepancies and no previous studies have investigated the underlying mechanism. The effects of oral meloxicam treatment to sows on immunoglobulin G (IgG) transfer to piglets around farrowing were investigated. A total of 30 multiparous sows were randomly treated with either oral meloxicam or a mock administration as control group. Treatment was administered as soon as possible at the beginning of the farrowing. A total of 325 piglets were individually weighed at farrowing (day 0) and at weaning (day +21) and piglet mortality was registered during lactation. Four piglets per sow (two piglets suckling from anterior teats and two piglets suckling from posterior teats) were selected for blood sampling at day +1, day +2 and day +20 for IgG analyses. Oral meloxicam treatment to sows significantly increased weight at weaning (mean±SE: 6563±86.3g from oral meloxicam group and 6145±103.2g from control group; P=0.0017) and ADG (mean±SE: 236±3.4g/day from oral meloxicam group and 217±4.5g/day from control group; P<0.001) during lactation, but failed to reduce piglet mortality during lactation (6.7% from oral meloxicam group and 6.8% from control group; P=0.89). IgG levels in piglets from the sows treated with oral meloxicam were significantly higher than the control group at day +1 (mean; median [95% CI] for median=31.9; 31.7 [29.6–33.6] vs. 27.9; 26.8 [25.9–28.3] mg/ml, P=0.0013) and day +2 (27.6; 27.0 [24.8–29.6] vs. 24.5; 24.2 [22.1–25.3] mg/ml, P=0.01). However, at day +20, IgG level in piglet serum was not significantly affected by the treatment (7.6; 7.6 [6.7–8.4] vs. 7.1; 6.9 [6.4–7.3] mg/ml, P=0.59). The administration of meloxicam orally at the beginning of the farrowing in multiparous sows increased the concentration of IgG in serum of piglets and enhanced their pre-weaning growth. Future research is warranted to clearly identify the proximate mechanism behind IgG effect.

Udder characteristics of importance for teat use in purebred and crossbred pigs.

Possible side effects of the current sow selection criteria on udder characteristics and their influence on teat use and functionality have not yet been investigated. The first aim of the present study was to investigate differences in udder morphology characteristics (distance between teats in a pair, teat length, and teat diameter) in 2 different pure breeds (Norsvin Duroc [ND; = 12] and Norsvin Landrace [NL; = 12]) and 1 crossbreed (Norsvin Landrace × Yorkshire [NL×Y; = 14]) at 3 different time periods (Days 1, 21, and 35) during lactation. Second, we also investigated the association between udder morphology and teat use on d 1 and if some of these characteristics influence whether teats become nonfunctional (from d 1 to 35) during lactation. During lactation, udder morphology (teat pair distance, teat length, and diameter of functional teats) and teat use (from 6 consecutive nursings: functional teats being used/not being used and which teat row [left or right] was uppermost) were documented. The NL had shorter distance between teat pairs than ND ( = 0.030). Teat pair distance increased with sows' parity ( = 0.010) and was affected by teat position ( < 0.001). The ND had shorter teats than NL and NL×Y ( < 0.001). Teat length and diameter increased with parity ( = 0.027 and = 0.043, respectively) and were affected by teat position ( < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). Functional teats were less used on d 1 postpartum (21.4%) than at 2 later time periods (10.4% on Day 21 and 4.7% on Day 35; < 0.001) during lactation. On d 1, the greater the distance between teat pairs in the middle and posterior position, the higher was the proportion of not-used functional teats ( = 0.003), with a larger decline in the lower teat row ( < 0.001), where approximately half of middle and posterior teats were not used. Proportion of not-used functional teats in the lower middle position increased when the teat pair distance exceeded 16 cm, whereas in the lower posterior position, this limit was 14 cm. Furthermore, the proportion of not-used teats on d 1 influenced teats becoming nonfunctional during lactation ( < 0.001). The greater the distance between pairs, the more teats became nonfunctional irrespective of teat position ( < 0.001). The present results suggest that teat pair distance is of importance for teat use in all breeds and should be included in the breeding program to ensure colostrum intake and maintain teat functionality during lactation.

Sources of variation in udder morphology of sows.

This experiment investigated the sources of variation in sow udder morphology. A cross-sectional study of 218 sows (109 Large White × Landrace [LWL] and 109 Meidam [Large White × Meishan {MDM}]) of different parities was conducted using a combination of scores and metric measurements. For each teat, 4 measures were taken: the inter-teat distance within the same row (SAMER), the distance from the base of the teat in the upper row to the abdominal midline (AML), the length of the teat from the tip to the base (LEN), and the diameter at the tip of the teat (DIA). Scores were adopted to define teat orientation (0 = teat not orientated perpendicular to the mammary gland and 1 = teat orientated perpendicular to the mammary gland), teat functionality (1 = milk channel not working, including teats that were blind, inverted, or very damaged; 2 = reduced availability of colostrum; and 3 = perfectly functional), and udder development (1 = not developed to 3 = fully developed). A longitudinal study on a subset of sows ( = 70) investigated how udder morphology changed in consecutive parities. Meidam had shorter teats, which were closer to the abdominal midline than LWL (LEN, < 0.001; AML, < 0.001). In both studies, first and second parity sows had smaller teats (LEN, < 0.001; DIA, < 0.001) than older multiparous sows. Teat position had a significant ( < 0.001) effect on SAMER in both breeds, with less distance between middle teat pairs. The distance from the base of the teats in the upper row to the abdominal midline was shorter in the anterior and posterior teats compared with the middle teat pairs. Teat length was greater in the anterior and middle teats than in the posterior ones, whereas DIA was greater in the middle teats. Teat pair position was associated with teat orientation ( < 0.001) and teat functionality ( < 0.001). Parity was associated with udder development ( < 0.001). Breed, parity, and teat pair position were all significant sources of variation in udder morphology in sows.

156 LAPAROSCOPIC UTERINE EMBRYO TRANSFER IN THE CAT

In the first successful transfer of cat embryos (Theriogenology 11, 51–62), the uterus was accessed by midventral laparotomy. That surgical approach was the most widely used method for transferring cat embryos for more than two decades. Then, 10 to 15 years ago pregnancies were reported after early cleavage stage embryos were transferred to the oviduct of recipients using a laparoscopic technique. Even though laparoscopic oviducal embryo transfer has produced higher survival/pregnancy rates than were obtained previously there are valid reasons for establishing a minimally invasive, technically simple method for depositing morulae and blastocysts into the uterus of recipients. Thus, the purpose of the present project was to develop a technique for laparoscopic uterine embryo transfer in the cat. Recipients (n = 4) were gonadotropin-treated females (Theriogenology 81, 126–37) from which prevoulatory oocytes (n = 27–42/retrieval) had been recovered 7 or 8 days previously. The procedure for accessing the reproductive tract has been described (Theriogenology 71, 864–71). Briefly, after abdominal insufflation via a Veress needle, two 5-mm ports were inserted in the midline – one ~2.5 cm anterior to the umbilicus and the other between the two most posterior teats. An endoscope/camera and a Babcock forceps were placed in the anterior and posterior ports, respectively. After the left uterine horn was stabilised with the Veress needle, the Babcock forceps were gently applied at ~2–3 cm from the anterior tip. In the first two attempts, a 16 g × 5 cm thin-walled stainless steel (s.s.) trocar/cannula was inserted transabdominally such that it aligned with the anterior portion of the left uterine horn when elevated with the forceps. Then, either a 14-cm, 3.5 Fr tom cat catheter with a s.s. sharp-tipped stylette or a 20/22 g × 6 cm indwelling catheter was passed through the s.s. cannula and inserted into the uterine horn. In each case, the length of the s.s. cannula restricted depth of insertion of the catheter into the horn. Polyethylene tubing (PE10) containing the embryos was threaded through the catheter and embryos were expelled with a 1-mL threaded-plunger syringe. The failure to establish pregnancies after transfer of five or six Day 7 or Day 8 IVF-derived “fresh” embryos into the first two recipients was attributed to technical difficulties. So, for the third and fourth procedures, we shortened the s.s. trocar/cannula to 2.5 cm and, for insertion into the horn, a 20/22 g × 6 cm indwelling catheter was used. With the third procedure, in which cryopreserved d 8 IVF blastocysts were transferred into a Day 7 recipient, the failure was possibility due sub-optimal in vitro development of embryos after thawing on d 7. For the fourth transfer, 6 “fresh” Day 8 IVF blastocysts – 2 expanding and 4 in the early stages of emerging from the zona pellucida – were auto-transferred into a 3-year-old recipient. A singleton pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasonography on Day 28 and a live, healthy male kitten (119 g) was born on Day 67. In summary, we demonstrated the feasibility of transferring in vitro-derived cat embryos into the uterus of recipients by the minimally invasive technique of laparoscopy.

Prevalencia y tratamiento de mastitis en un hato lechero

&lt;p&gt;El objetivo de este proyecto fue realizar una investigación epidemiológica de los casos de mastitis en un hato lechero, durante el período de enero de 2013 a junio de 2014. El ordeño fue mecánico, 2 veces al día. En el año 2013 se registraron 43 casos de mastitis, y 31 hasta junio de 2014. En el año 2013, el 37,21% de los casos fueron del Cuarto trasero izquierdo (CTI); 25,58%, del Cuarto delantero derecho (CDD); 20.93%, del Cuarto delantero izquierdo (CDI), y 16,28%, del Cuarto trasero derecho (CTD). En el 2014, el 41,94% de los casos fueron del CDI; el 29,03%, del CDD; el 16,13% del CTI, y el 12,9%, del CTD. En cuanto a las drogas de uso común, en el año 2013 eran cloxacilina (24,53% de los casos), sulfadiacina + trimetoprim (SDZ + TRIM) y gentamicina (20,75% de los casos). En el año 2014 fueron utilizadas cloxacilina y SDZ + TRIM (28,57% de los casos) y gentamicina (22,86% de los casos). Con los resultados se puede concluir que la condición predisponente de la mastitis que afecta a las vacas es la negligencia del ordeñador en la limpieza de cuartos, junto con una mala desinfección de estos.&lt;/p&gt;

Evaluation of secretion volume and immunoglobulin A and G concentrations in sow colostrum from anterior to posterior teats.

Among domestic animals, teat order is only observed in the pig. In order to achieve the healthy growth and weaning of piglets, it is important to elucidate if volume of colostrum secretion and immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG concentrations differ among the teats of a sow. Nine sows were used to evaluate the difference in colostrum secretion volume (CSV) and four of these sows were assessed for IgA and IgG concentrations from each teat. Samples were collected five times during 21 h following parturition. Teats were assigned anatomical locations of teat (1 to 7) from anterior to posterior. The CSV of anterior (locations 1 and 2) and middle teats (locations 3-5) was significantly higher than those of posterior teats (locations 6 and 7) throughout the experiment except for 18 h post-parturition (P < 0.05). The CSV of the teats at location 1 was significantly higher at most collection times than those at locations 6 and 7. A positive correlation of CSV was observed with IgA and IgG concentrations from 12 h and 6 h post-parturition, respectively (P < 0.05). The results suggest that anterior teats secrete greater volumes of colostrum and that these tend to contain higher IgA and IgG than posteriors teats.

Thermographic study of the ovine mammary gland during different working vacuum levels

Thermography is a non-contact, non-invasive technique that detects surface heat emitted as infrared radiation. Because skin temperature reflects the status of underlying tissue metabolism and blood circulation, abnormal thermal patterns can signify areas of superficial inflammation or circulatory impairments (i.e. congestion). In sheep different methods have been adopted to measure udder blood circulation and the effect of cold exposure and lactation on the distribution of blood flow. The effect of milking procedures on udder and teat skin temperature was investigated in cows through thermographic scanning. Thermography results in a very useful tool to evaluate, estimate and differentiate short and longer-term tissue reactions to machine milking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of working vacuum level on udder and teat temperature changes during milking procedures and the recovery by indirect monitoring of the circulatory impairments of teat tissue via infrared thermography. Two groups of six lactating Sarda ewes were milked experimentally at two vacuum levels (28 and 42 kPa) and same pulsation parameters (120 cycles/min and 60% ratio). Thermographic images (Flir System, ThermaCam P25, sensitivity of 0.08 °C) of posterior udder area (PUA) and teats (teat base – TB; mid teat – MT and teat tip – TT) were taken pre-milking (PM), during milking (M) (only for PUA), and immediately after milking (IAM) up to 2 minutes after milking (AM+). Temperatures were recovered by processing the thermographic images in ThermaCam Researcher Basic 2.8 SR-1 Software (Flir System). The PUA showed a drop of 1°C in both treatments between PM and M. After milking, values did not show remarkable changes. The vacuum level effect on teats temperature results to be different between treatments. Results during IAM indicate a general drop of the teats temperatures and specifically for high vacuum level (from 39.82 to 37.92°C and from 39.71 to 37.75°C for low and high vacuum level respectively). During AM+ (monitored up to 60 sec - AM +30; up to 90 sec - AM+60 and up to 120 sec – AM+90) the increase of teat temperatures were different (P vs 37.96°C and AM+90: 39.02 vs 38.58°C for low and high vacuum level respectively). Differences among TB, MT and TT were evident also at AM+90 only for the high vacuum level while in low one, at the same time, it was persistent only the difference between TT and TB. The higher teat temperature for the low vacuum level could be attributable to a faster return to a normal condition of the blood flow in all teat locations. Teat circulation impairments due to milking procedures need further surveys.