Original article(s)

The effect of the feeding history of dogs and of the addition of different fat sources (chicken lard (CL), rapid harvested salmon oil (RS) and non-rapid harvested salmon oil (NRS)) to their diet on the palatability of dog foods was investigated. Three diets were tested in twelve healthy adult Beagle dogs using a modified two-pan preference test: a basal diet with chicken lard (CL) and two diets with 1% salmon oil, one being with rapid-harvest salmon oil (RS) and the other with non-rapid-harvest salmon oil (NRS). Substitution of 1% chicken lard by 1% salmon oil decreased the (n-6):(n-3) fatty acid ratio from 9 to 5. The oxidative status in both oils and foods was rather low, but the difference between the two salmon oils was prominent. Absolute food intake did not differ significantly among the diets, most likely due to numeric differences in absolute food intake between test periods. Relative intake showed a significant difference between CL (38.5 % of total food intake) and NRS (28.1 %), whereas no difference was noted between RS (33.4 %) and NRS and between CL and RS. The preceding diet had no effect on diet preference.

In the present study, the practice of semen examination and semen processing in Belgian porcine artificialinsemination (AI) centers was evaluated by means of a written questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to 50AI centers and 38 filled it in and returned it (response rate 76%). The size of the herds in the responding centers variedbetween 4 and 165 boars, with a mean of 45. In 80% of the AI centers, the semen doses contained at least 3billion spermatozoa. Sperm morphology and motility were considered the most important parameters forsperm quality evaluation. Semen morphology was systematically examined in 71% of AI centers. A lower limitof 80% normal spermatozoa was used in 66% of the AI centers. Motility was monitored systematically in everyejaculate in 94% of AI centers. A lower limit of 70% motility was used. Motility assessment was performed visuallyin all but one of the AI centers.Ninety-seven percent of Belgian AI centers used a short-term semen extender (storage for 3 days). Since sementransport times are short in Belgium, there is no necessity for long-term storage of diluted porcine semen.In 50% of the AI centers, long-term extenders (storage for 7 days) were used on a part of the collected semen,mainly for storage over the weekend. In some AI centers, extender solutions at room temperature are added tothe ejaculate, apparently without negative effects on fertility. Antibiotics are seldom supplemented to the extendedporcine semen. The semen doses contained in most cases 100 ml extended semen.The present study shows that the Belgian porcine AI centers generally incorporate semen quality examinationsin their daily routine, especially for motility assessment. In a minority of AI centers, especially the smaller ones,the semen morphology examination should be done more systematically. This focus on semen quality, togetherwith the consistent use of a sufficient number of spermatozoa per semen dose, reflects the concern of Belgian AIcenters to produce quality semen doses. In some AI centers, improvements in semen handling could be made,especially concerning the temperature of the extender and its preservation conditions.

To control Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections, the use of antibiotics in feed or water is a common practice.Unfortunately, information concerning the susceptibility of M. hyopneumoniae to different antimicrobials isvery scarce. The in vitro susceptibility of 21 M. hyopneumoniae field isolates was determined in this study using abroth microdilution technique. Acquired resistance to spectinomycin, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, gentamicin,florfenicol and tiamulin was not observed. One isolate showed acquired resistance to lincomycin, tilmicosin andtylosin, but was susceptible to all other antibiotics tested. For 5 isolates, the MIC-values of flumequine were >16 μg/ml, while the MIC50-value was 2 μg/ml. The MIC-values of enrofloxacin for these 5 isolates were ≥ 0.5μg/ml, the MIC50 being 0.06 μg/ml. This is the first report showing acquired resistance against macrolides, lincosamidesand fluoroquinolones in M. hyopneumoniae field isolates.

Major losses of body weight and fat reserves during the first lactation are a cause of unsatisfying reproductiveperformances in primiparous sows. This study, conducted in three commercial sow herds, investigatedwhether weaning the sows three days earlier together with administering altrenogest was effectivefor improving reproductive performance (weaning-to-estrus interval, pregnancy rate after firstinsemination, total litter size and number of live born piglets in the second litter) and body condition. Inthe herds suffering from the second litter syndrome, a non-significant improvement of the second litter sizewas found with on average 1.9 extra piglets born. During the treatment period, the treated sows gainedon average 1.4 mm back fat, while the control sows lost 0.4 mm back fat. In conclusion, the treatment isuseful for putting the sows in better condition at the moment of insemination and it may possibly improvereproductive performance in farms with the second litter syndrome.

Because of the elective use of Caesarean Section (CS), the Belgian Blue (BB) breed is being criticized byanimal health organizations in Europe and it also has economical consequences. Within the selection for the reductionof CS, the increase of pelvic dimensions plays a crucial role. Correct information about the pelvic canalis a very important condition to perform this selection. Measurements of the pelvic canal in living animals canbe performed by using a Rice pelvimeter. The present paper describes a study of the repeatability between twodifferent technicians and within one technician of pelvic measurements in double muscled BB cows using a Ricepelvimeter. Additionally, changes within the pelvic dimensions at parturition were examined by measurementsat three different points around calving (one month before, within 24 hours and two weeks after parturition). Nosignificant differences were found for the pelvic height between the two technicians. The variation coefficient ofthe measurements of the second technician proved to be smaller but not significantly different from technician1, for pelvic width as well as for pelvic height. Only the pelvic height measured at parturition significantly differed (0.48 cm) from the measurements taken one month before calving (P < 0.05). Based on these results we candecide that the measurements taken by the Rice pelvimeter are repeatable within one technician and between twodifferent technicians. Finally, parturition can have an effect on the pelvic measurements.

The age-related degree of ossification of the sternum and the long leg bones (femur, tibiotarsus andtarsometatarsus) of chickens was determined both macroscopically and radiographically in ten broilersranging from 7 to 14 weeks in age, and in four laying hens of different ages and breeds. The caudal halfof the sternal crest was still cartilaginous in 14-week-old broilers. This relatively slow ossification rate ofthe sternum interfered with accurate age determination. The length of the long bones of the shank variedwith age but was also breed dependent. In contrast, the diaphyseal diameter of the long leg bones and thethickness of the articular cartilage covering the femoral head, femoral condyles and proximal tibiotarsalsurface varied little in 7 to 14-week-old broilers. The thickness of the femoral and proximal tibiotarsalarticular cartilage was more than 3 mm in broilers and less than 1 mm in the older laying hens. The closureof the growth plates in the tibiotarsus and the tarsometatarsus was the most reliable criterion for agedetermination in broilers.

In order to gain insight into the process of evaluating the hip quality of potential breeding dogs, we estimatedinter-observer agreement on the assessability of radiographs, on the morphological observationsandon the final scoring of canine hip dysplasia. One hundred radiographs were assessed in terms of theirradiographic quality and the morphological traits of the hips by six individual observers and by two groupsof two observers each. These six observers and two groups were also asked to evaluate the radiographs inaccordance with the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) instructions. There was no consistentpattern between observers in the evaluation of the technical quality of the radiographs. For some of theobservers there was a small amount of agreement in the evaluation of the morphological characteristics.The agreement between the evaluations of the two groups was greater (harmonization between observers).The level of agreement in final scoring (FCI; A, B, C, D, E) was low between some observers, but acceptablebetween others. These results suggest that the assessment of the quality of ventrodorsal extended radiographsof hips, the assessment of the morphological traits of hips and the final scoring of the hip qualityis highly variable between observers, ranging from total disagreement to nearly full agreement. Solutionsmust be found for maximizing the agreement between the different observers.

Capripoxvirus infections including sheeppox virus (SPPV), goatpox virus (GTPV) and lumpy skin diseasesvirus (LSDV), which are listed by the OIE, are malignant, severe and highly contagious diseases insheep, goats and cattle. This study reports the identification of a capripoxvirus in necropsy specimens,including skin and lung lesions, lymph nodes, spleen and cotyledon obtained from dead sheep suspectedof sheeppox infection. PCR was used to compare its genome with GPPV and SPPV isolates using sequenceanalysis. PCR demonstrated that all necropsy specimens were positive and nucleotide sequencing of PCRproducts indicated a close relationship to SPPV.

The presence of Campylobacter DNA was studied by means of PCR in fecal samples from 37 dogs sufferingfrom acute or chronic diarrhea and 50 dogs without clinical signs. In total, 47% of the fecal sampleswere positive for Campylobacter DNA, with C. upsaliensis being the predominant species, followed by C.coli, C. jejuni and C. mucosalis. C. helveticus, C. lari, C. hyointestinalis, C. sputorum, C. fetus and C. lanienaeDNAwas not detected in any of the samples. No significant difference was noted between the healthy dogsand the diarrheic dogs. Dogs younger than 12 months old were significantly more often infected withCampylobacter species than older dogs. Although a pathogenic role cannot be excluded, the detection ofthese organisms in fecal samples is not diagnostic for Campylobacter-associated disease in dogs. However,because of their frequent presence in dog feces, Campylobacter species may constitute a public healthhazard.

Bacteriological examination of fecal samples from diarrheic dogs invariably results in the isolation ofEscherichia coli. The association of the presence of this bacterium with enteric disease in dogs is not clear. In thisstudy, the association between the presence of E. coli virulence genes and diarrhea in dogs was confirmed. For thispurpose, E. coli isolates recovered from the feces of 34 healthy dogs and 25 dogs with diarrhea aged 7.5 months to10 years, were tested for the presence of 17 virulence genes. Virulence genes were not detected in 15 of the 25 and15 of the 34 isolates from dogs with or without diarrhea, respectively. In the other isolates, the presence of genesencoding the toxins cytotoxic necrotising factor (CNF) 1, CNF2, verotoxin (VT) 1 and VT2 and/or the adhesinsintimine, F5 fimbriae and F41 fimbriae was demonstrated. There was, however, no significant difference in theprevalence of virulence genes between E. coli isolates from the diarrheic and non-diarrheic adult dogs examined.Because diagnostic markers in the E. coli isolates are absent, the examination of canine feces on the presence ofthis bacterium is of little diagnostic value.