In practice

This article provides a detailed description of both the method and the requirements for an infusion in the ear veinof cattle, performed in daily practice. By using this approach, calves and cows can be given larger quantities of fluidduring a longer period of time. Besides the ear anatomy, a description of the infusion technique is outlined. Thistechnique is easy to learn and can, according to the experiences of the authors, be used under field conditions at lowcost and with a minimal risk of complications.

Progestagens can be used to control the estrus of bitches and cats for contraceptive purposes. This implies theoccurrence of both reproductive and non-reproductive side effects. However, other contraceptive methods such assurgical sterilization are alternatives of equal value. To investigate this matter, a survey about the use of progestagensin small animal practices was sent to 120 Flemish veterinarians, 80 of whom responded. The results show that surgicalsterilization is recommended by 98% of the veterinarians when owners require heat control of their animal.Nevertheless, the use of progestagens remains popular, with 71% of the practices using them with dogs and 58% usingthem with cats. The injectable formulations of medroxyprogesterone acetate and proligestone are mostly used inbitches, while the oral administration of megestrolacetate is most commonly used in cats. Increased appetite and bodyweight, neoplasia of the mammary gland and cystic endometrial hyperplasia/pyometra complex were the side effectsmost commonly noticed by veterinarians in both species.

For approximately 50 years the caesarean section has been carried out in Belgium. Over the years the techniquehas changed and has been improved several times. At present caesarean sections are carried out as a routine operationdue to the evolution of the Belgian Blue breed. In this study the differences in protocol, materials and surgicaltechniques used by the veterinary surgeons have been examined by means of a questionnaire on the not-complicatedcaesarean section. In general there are differences between the methods applied by the veterinarians, but the majorityof these differences, for example the choice of disinfectants or antibiotics, hardly influence the results of caesareansection. However, leaving out some particular steps in the operation procedure, such as vaginal examination, canlead to an inferior result. The risks of leaving out these particular steps are also discussed. The main reasons forchoosing specific operation techniques or operation materials are time constraints, the level of experience of thepractitioner and the costs of the materials used.

Paper in Dutch

The aim of the study was to gather information on the functioning of the pig practitioners in the current pigsector in Belgium by means of a questionnaire. It consisted of 76 questions dealing with the studies of veterinarymedicine, the situation of the practitioners and the veterinary herd health guidance. Forty-three practitionerscompleted the questionnaire. On average, the respondents have 17 years of professional experience. Most of theveterinarians prefer that the current education system with the different main subjects in the last year of veterinarymedicine studies is maintained, a minority prefers to have more (19%) or less (36%) differentiation during the study.Of all veterinarians who obtained their DVM degrees after 1997, 19 out of 20 have followed one or more coursesrelated to pig medicine. Fifty-eight percent work as an independent practitioner and 42% as a practitioner associatedwith a feeding company. Forty-four percent work in a one-man practice and 56% in a group practice. Almost allveterinarians have a full-time job and work on average 54 hours per week. The respondents report to be the statutoryherd veterinarian of 43 pig herds on average. A solid professional knowledge combined with good social skills tocommunicate with the farmer are considered to be the most important factors for a successful herd health guidance.An important part of the income (43%) is obtained by selling veterinary drugs. Eighty-five percent of the practitionersreport that pig producers are not willing to pay for professional advice. The health status of the pigs in the herds isbest monitored by performing necropsies and by a diagnostic work-up of a representative number of pigs of the herd,rather than by investigating pigs in the slaughterhouse. The majority of veterinarians think that several aspects relatedto the practice situation as well as the herd health guidance can be improved (administration, payment, importanceof quality assurance labels for practitioners, medication, prescription of drugs). Eighty six percent of the respondentsprefer to continue with their current jobs. This is an indication of professional satisfaction and illustrates that thecurrent practitioners are positive and hopeful about their future in the pig production.

Biosecurity includes all measures to prevent pathogens from entering a herd and to reduce the spread of infectionswithin the herd in order to keep the animals ‘healthy’. To quantify the biosecurity status of a pig herd, a scoringsystem has been developed. This system quantifies all aspects of both external and internal biosecurity taking intoaccount their relative importance in infectious disease transmission. This makes it possible to follow up herds overtime and it can motivate the farmer to improve the biosecurity status of his herd. This scoring system wasimplemented in a website and can be freely filled in online. From December 2008 to August 2009, 99 pig farmersvoluntarily filled in the questionnaire. The average score for external biosecurity is 65/100 and the average score forinternal biosecurity is 50/100. There are big differences between the scores of different farms. The results also showthat on 92% of the herds the score for external biosecurity is higher than the score for internal biosecurity. Theseresults indicate that there is room for improvement in many of the herds, especially with regard to internal biosecurity.

Paper in Dutch

The objective of this preliminary study was to investigate the relationship between the housing conditions and thehealth and welfare of horses. A survey, based on a questionnaire containing 36 multiple choice questions about variousaspects of the housing of horses was conducted. A questionnaire was sent via email to approximately 600 horse ownersin Flanders. A total of 225 horse owners completed the questionnaire. The study provides a clear picture of the riskfactors that horse owners in practice recognize and the link they see between housing related diseases. Although horseowners usually are sufficiently aware of these influences, they are not taken care of in practice. According to fifty percentof the respondents, the major reason is the impracticability of the advice of the veterinarian. According to thehorse owners, the main risk factors affecting the health of horses are: draft, the lack of quarantine measures and the presenceof (sharp) foreign objects in the stable. As a consequence, more than 50% of the respondents report nasal dischargeand coughing as common problems in their horses. Sixty-seven percent of the horse owners are satisfied withthe overall management of the stable. However, there is a widespread dissatisfaction with regard to quarantine measures,in case of a disease outbreak (30% of the horse owners) and in case of the introduction of new animals into a group(36%). Fifty percent of the respondents score their own stable infrastructure 8/10 or more while about one out of fouris less satisfied (7/10) about the floor and the walls of their stables.The results of this study can help owners and veterinarians to identify housing factors that may increase the riskto health and welfare problems in horses. This should lead to an improved well-being of the modern, often prolonged- housed horse.

Dystocia may occur in all dog breeds, but the English bulldog is predisposed because of itsconformation and specifi c problems such as anasarca pups. In this study, the frequency of abnormalpups and breeding problems in English bulldogs was investigated by a questionnaire containinginformation on 39 bitches in total. In 74.4% of these bitches, artifi cial insemination was performed.At the end of gestation, 25.8% of the bitches suffered from respiratory problems and partialanorexia. The average duration of gestation was 58.7 days counted from the fi rst day of mating.Caesarean section was performed in 94.8% of the cases, with natural delivery in only 5.2% ofthe bitches. In this study, the average litter size was six pups. Thirteen percent of the pups werestillborn, 8.2% of the pups alive were deformed, with palatoschisis (38.8%) and anasarca (27.7%)being the most commonly observed abnormalities. Ten percent of the pups died before the age ofweaning.