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Simple Summary: Undenatured collagen type 2 is considered a promising treatment for osteoarthritis in both humans and animals. Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, is often associated with cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs, which frequently necessitates Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO). Despite the generally successful outcomes of TPLO, dogs frequently experience postoperative pain and ongoing joint degeneration. To address these concerns, our study delved into the effects of oral supplementation with a high-concentration undenatured collagen type 2 dietary supplement (ARTHROSHINE® HA²) post-TPLO surgery. Employing a prospective, randomized design, we utilized treadmill analysis and a validated owner questionnaire to objectively gauge the nutraceutical supplement's influence on limb function, overall activity level, and pain. The results are highly encouraging. Gait analysis revealed a significant reduction in the duration of postoperative rehabilitation, enabling complete recovery within just 12 weeks after the procedure, compared to the 24 weeks required without the supplement. This research underscores the potential of undenatured collagen type 2 as an adjunctive therapy for alleviating lameness following TPLO surgery. Notably, subjective owner perceptions did not differ between the groups. This randomized, prospective clinical trial investigates the impact of a novel undenatured collagen type 2 (T2NDC)-based nutraceutical, ARTHROSHINE® HA² (AS), on postoperative rehabilitation following Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) in 50 dogs with unilateral cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR). The patients were randomly allocated to either group A, receiving AS once daily for 24 weeks post-TPLO surgery, or group B, without any supplementation. Frequency matching was applied to enhance group comparability. Assessment of outcomes included computerized gait analysis and a validated owner questionnaire. AS supplementation was well received, without any reported side effect. Consistently, patients in group A exhibited significantly higher peak vertical force values during all follow-up assessments. By the 12-week mark, gait analysis indicated a return to a physiological gait pattern in group A, while group B achieved this normalization only by the 24-week point. The administration of AS post-TPLO surgery demonstrates promise in enhancing limb function, leading to faster restoration of a physiological gait pattern. The inclusion of AS, a T2NDC-based nutraceutical, in the post-TPLO rehabilitation protocol may contribute to improved limb function and an expedited recovery, potentially facilitating a quicker return to normalcy. It is noteworthy that subjective owner perceptions did not differ between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Staff of transport companies and abattoirs who handle live cattle and pigs have a high degree of responsibility for animal welfare. However, there are frequent reports of animal welfare concerns regarding the handling of cattle and pigs during transport and slaughter. Continuous training on the correct and proper handling of animals is suitable for strengthening animal welfare. For that purpose, online training modules are developed at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. Experts in this field were asked to rate predetermined action points according to their relevance for animal welfare during transport and slaughter, and their potential for improvement through targeted training in two consecutive survey rounds (=Delphi approach). The rating scale included scores from 0 (='not relevant', respectively 'no possibility of improvement') to 10 (='very relevant', respectively 'very high possibility of improvement'). The experts rated 'Assessment of fitness for transport', 'Unloading at abattoir', 'Handling at stunning' and 'Exsanguination' as the most relevant action points. None of the action points were rated with a median score below 5. The Delphi approach was seen as a valuable method to include external expertise to select the most relevant action points for the online training modules. To improve animal welfare for cattle and pigs during transport and at slaughter, online training modules for all staff including employees in the lairage pen, the slaughter line as well as animal welfare officers are developed at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. Before starting the development of these modules, an expert elicitation survey using a modified Delphi approach was performed to identify action points considered most relevant for animal welfare during transport and slaughter, and as having the potential for improvement through training. In total, 49 participating experts rated predetermined action points of each step in the transport and slaughter process in two survey rounds. The rating scale included numbers 0 (='not relevant', respectively 'no possibility of improvement') to 10 (='very relevant', respectively 'very high possibility of improvement'). None of the action points were rated with a median score of less than 5. Assessment of fitness for transport, unloading at the abattoir, handling at stunning and exsanguination were amongst the highest rated action points, and were therefore selected to develop online training modules. The Delphi approach was seen as a valuable method to include external expertise to select the most relevant action points for the development of online training modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Lameness is a common problem among dairy cows, significantly impacting both their well-being and productivity. It not only hampers the mobility of cows but also exerts notable effects on behavioral aspects, like grooming and feed bunk visits. Typically, dairy cows are equipped with accelerometers primarily for estrus detection. Our goal was to formulate a model for detecting lameness using accelerometer data collected from six farms in Germany. Various statistical models were developed for lameness detection, including variables influenced by lameness, such as rumination, feeding and movement patterns, milk production, days in milk, and weight. The aim was to identify lameness in cows through a comprehensive analysis. We explored multiple models, considering different variables affected by lameness, and ultimately selected the most suitable model. Lameness in dairy cows poses a significant challenge to improving animal well-being and optimizing economic efficiency in the dairy industry. To address this, employing automated animal surveillance for early lameness detection and prevention through activity sensors proves to be a promising strategy. In this study, we analyzed activity (accelerometer) data and additional cow-individual and farm-related data from a longitudinal study involving 4860 Holstein dairy cows on six farms in Germany during 2015–2016. We designed and investigated various statistical models and chose a logistic regression model with mixed effects capable of detecting lameness with a sensitivity of 77%. Our results demonstrate the potential of automated animal surveillance and hold the promise of significantly improving lameness detection approaches in dairy livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Legal regulations at European and national level create the basis for the protection of animals. A certificate of competence is obligatory when animals intended for human consumption are handled or slaughtered. Within the project "eSchulTS2", e-learning training courses for employees of transport companies and abattoirs were developed to the improve animal welfare of pigs during transport and slaughter. This study was to assess the impact on the respective knowledge of employee groups with different educational level and background at one pig abattoir in Germany and to pre-evaluate the innovative and low-barrier didactical concept of the e-learning training courses. By using questions of knowledge, it was shown that more questions of knowledge were answered correctly after conducting the courses. Together with interactions shown by further statistical methods, this pre-evaluation showed that with the underlying didactical concept, an increase in knowledge was achieved. In addition to the information on the possession of a certificate of competence, there are no concrete obligations for repetitive training for personnel handling live animals at transport and slaughter. Deficiencies in the animal-welfare-friendly handling of pigs are known. The developed pilot modules "Handling of pigs" and "Electrical stunning" were tested in a pretest–posttest study in German and Romanian using questions of knowledge before and after the implementation of the modules. In this study, 45 and 46 datasets of participants could be analyzed. The mean percentages of correctly answered questions in the posttest increased by 5.6% in the module "Handling of pigs" and by 10.6% in the module "Electrical stunning". A significant interaction was found for the language match and trend categories in the module "Handling of pigs". No Romanian native speaker had a positive trend in this module. For both modules separately, participant education level significantly interacted with the language match and the presence or absence of a certificate of competence. Comparing the percentages of the correct given answers, significant interactions in the subgroups were more common in the module "Electrical stunning". One question in "Electrical stunning" was correctly answered significantly more often in the posttest. Because of the positive mean trends of knowledge within this pre-evaluation, we assume the didactical concept was suitable for our target groups. Holders of a certificate of competence also gave more correct answers in the post-test. This underlines the importance of repetitive training. Differences in the trends of knowledge gain seem to be topic and experience related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The number of circovirus species is continuously expanding thanks to improved diagnostic and sequencing technologies. Recently, a new circovirus (penguin circovirus (PenCV)) was identified in the guano and cloacal samples collected from Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) in Antarctica, and a potential association with disease was proposed. The present study investigates the occurrence of PenCV infection in Namibian African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) colonies. No evidence of viral circulation was observed, suggesting that PenCV distribution could be limited to Antarctica or to particular penguin species. The known host range of circoviruses is continuously expanding because of more intensive diagnostic activities and advanced sequencing tools. Recently, a new circovirus (penguin circovirus (PenCV)) was identified in the guano and cloacal samples collected from Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) in Antarctica. Although the virus was detected in several asymptomatic subjects, a potential association with feather disease was speculated. To investigate the occurrence and implications of PenCV in other penguin species located outside of Antarctica, a broad survey was undertaken in African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) on two islands off the southern Namibian coast. For this purpose, specific molecular biology assays were developed and validated. None of the 151 blood samples tested positive for PenCV. Several reasons could explain the lack of PenCV positive samples. African penguins and Pygoscelis species are separated by approximately 6000 km, so there is almost no opportunity for transmission. Similarly, host susceptibility to PenCV might be penguin genus-specific. Overall, the present study found no evidence of PenCV in African penguin colonies in Namibia. Further dedicated studies are required to assess the relevance of PenCV among different penguin species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This cross-sectional study assessed the sensitivity and specificity of clinical mastitis detection by automated milking systems on Bavarian dairy herds in southern Germany. Clinical mastitis affects animal health and food safety, and therefore, its detection is an important task of any automatic milking system. Different manufacturers have different approaches to detecting clinical mastitis, with detection rates (sensitivity) ranging between 31% and 78% and correct rejection rate (specificity) between 79% and 97%. In multivariable models, some cow-level factors were shown to influence these rates. In automatic milking systems (AMSs), the detection of clinical mastitis (CM) and the subsequent separation of abnormal milk should be reliably performed by commercial AMSs. Therefore, the objectives of this cross-sectional study were (1) to determine the sensitivity (SN) and specificity (SP) of CM detection of AMS by the four most common manufacturers in Bavarian dairy farms, and (2) to identify routinely collected cow data (AMS and monthly test day data of the regional Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA)) that could improve the SN and SP of clinical mastitis detection. Bavarian dairy farms with AMS from the manufacturers DeLaval, GEA Farm Technologies, Lely, and Lemmer-Fullwood were recruited with the aim of sampling at least 40 cows with clinical mastitis per AMS manufacturer in addition to clinically healthy ones. During a single farm visit, cow-level milking information was first electronically extracted from each AMS and then all lactating cows examined for their udder health status in the barn. Clinical mastitis was defined as at least the presence of visibly abnormal milk. In addition, available DHIA test results from the previous six months were collected. None of the manufacturers provided a definition for clinical mastitis (i.e., visually abnormal milk), therefore, the SN and SP of AMS warning lists for udder health were assessed for each manufacturer individually, based on the clinical evaluation results. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) with herd as random effect were used to determine the potential influence of routinely recorded parameters on SN and SP. A total of 7411 cows on 114 farms were assessed; of these, 7096 cows could be matched to AMS data and were included in the analysis. The prevalence of clinical mastitis was 3.4% (239 cows). When considering the 95% confidence interval (95% CI), all but one manufacturer achieved the minimum SN limit of >80%: DeLaval (SN: 61.4% (95% CI: 49.0%–72.8%)), GEA (75.9% (62.4%–86.5%)), Lely (78.2% (67.4%–86.8%)), and Lemmer-Fullwood (67.6% (50.2%–82.0%)). However, none of the evaluated AMSs achieved the minimum SP limit of 99%: DeLaval (SP: 89.3% (95% CI: 87.7%–90.7%)), GEA (79.2% (77.1%–81.2%)), Lely (86.2% (84.6%–87.7%)), and Lemmer-Fullwood (92.2% (90.8%–93.5%)). All AMS manufacturers' robots showed an association of SP with cow classification based on somatic cell count (SCC) measurement from the last two DHIA test results: cows that were above the threshold of 100,000 cells/mL for subclinical mastitis on both test days had lower chances of being classified as healthy by the AMS compared to cows that were below the threshold. In conclusion, the detection of clinical mastitis cases was satisfactory across AMS manufacturers. However, the low SP will lead to unnecessarily discarded milk and increased workload to assess potentially false-positive mastitis cases. Based on the results of our study, farmers must evaluate all available data (test day data, AMS data, and daily assessment of their cows in the barn) to make decisions about individual cows and to ultimately ensure animal welfare, food quality, and the economic viability of their farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are considered endangered and their population is in continuous decline. Understanding their social interactions, health, and welfare status has been a topic of intense research in recent decades. Coagulation assessments have been underutilized in wildlife but can give valuable information on individual health. This study aims to increase the knowledge of the coagulation status in healthy Asian elephants from different backgrounds and age groups, using a fast point-of-care analyzer. This tool can be further used in either routine health check-ups performed by caretakers or in a clinical emergency, such as in cases of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus hemorrhagic disease outbreaks. We have also investigated the presence of genomic mutations in one coagulation factor—factor VII—where a disorder was previously reported in an Asian elephant. Hereby, we report new reference values for coagulation parameters, such as coagulation times and fibrinogen concentration of Asian elephants assessed in Thailand and in Europe, as well as several single point mutations found in the exons of Elephas maximus coagulation F7 gene. We found the point-of-care analyzer used in this study to be very practical and user friendly for a zoo and field environment and hope that this project will incentivize further coagulation studies in Asian elephants and in other wildlife species. The Asian elephant population is continuously declining due to several extrinsic reasons in their range countries, but also due to diseases in captive populations worldwide. One of these diseases, the elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) hemorrhagic disease, is very impactful because it particularly affects Asian elephant calves. It is commonly fatal and presents as an acute and generalized hemorrhagic syndrome. Therefore, having reference values of coagulation parameters, and obtaining such values for diseased animals in a very short time, is of great importance. We analyzed prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and fibrinogen concentrations using a portable and fast point-of-care analyzer (VetScan Pro) in 127 Asian elephants from Thai camps and European captive herds. We found significantly different PT and aPTT coagulation times between elephants from the two regions, as well as clear differences in fibrinogen concentration. Nevertheless, these alterations were not expected to have biological or clinical implications. We have also sequenced the coagulation factor VII gene of 141 animals to assess the presence of a previously reported hereditary coagulation disorder in Asian elephants and to investigate the presence of other mutations. We did not find the previously reported mutation in our study population. Instead, we discovered the presence of several new single nucleotide polymorphisms, two of them being considered as deleterious by effect prediction software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) is considered the primary cause of calf mortality in the global captive Asian elephant population. Once thought to be exclusively a zoo problem, EEHV-HD is currently acknowledged as a disease also present in wild populations, although the extension of this threat in some free-range countries is still poorly understood. The disease is characterized by an acute hemorrhagic syndrome due to vast endothelial destruction combined with disseminated intravascular coagulation, leading to the sudden death of mainly young elephants. In this study, we aimed at understanding the impact of EEHV-HD in the European captive Asian elephant population and acquiring a better understanding if hereditary or environmental factors could be linked to the manifestation of this disease. The findings of this investigation suggest the involvement of zoo-associated factors with possible sire or dam (or a combination of both) influence on the onset of the disease. This knowledge points us to the importance of continuous retrospective epidemiological studies and stresses the great importance of finding further underlying factors for the development of this disease if we wish to halt the high number of deaths caused by this hemorrhagic disease. EEHV is a ubiquitous virus, which most likely has co-evolved with elephants and is shed by healthy individuals and maintained in the herds. Yet, the factors determining calf susceptibility to the virus remain unknown. Here, we explored the impact of EEHV-HD in the European captive Asian elephant population in a retrospective statistical study spanning the last 35 years. We show that EEHV-HD was implicated in more than half of all deaths recorded in calves older than one months old. Moreover, the median age across EEHV-HD fatalities was significantly lower compared to other death causes. Finally, we investigated if heredity and zoo-associated factors could be linked to a higher susceptibility of calves to this disease. We used a univariable logistic regression model to evaluate if either fathers, mothers, or zoos could, separately, be considered as risk factors to the development of the disease. Afterwards, we used a two multivariable model, combining: (1) fathers and zoos, and (2) mothers and zoos. Overall, we found that two fathers, one mother, and four zoos had three or more times higher risk of their calves becoming sick when compared to all others, pointing us to the presence of a management or environmental element, which can have paternal and maternal influence and leads to calf susceptibility or resistance to EEHV-HD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]