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The purpose of this first-time long-term observational study was to evaluate the changes of the caudal lumbar spine at the locations L5/6, L6/7, and L7/S1 in 5 German shepherd dogs over a 6-year time period using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The dogs had a mean age of 26 months at the time of the first examination. In addition, it was evaluated whether a breeding examination, with regard to disc degeneration, is justified in young dog.The locations L7/S1, L6/7, and L5/6 were examined in more detail with regard to their signal intensity changes, the facet joint angle changes in dorsal (dors) and transverse (trans) planes, and disc surface changes in sagittal (sag) and transverse (trans) reconstruction planes with CT and MRT in 2015 and 2021. All data were collected computer-based and analyzed statistically. Subsequently, the results were compared to the measured signal intensity and to the subjective disc degeneration grading according to Seiler used in practice.Over the period of 6 years a significant loss of the measured signal intensity of the intervertebral discs in the transverse plane and an overall facet joint widening in the transverse plane of 0.54° as well as in the dorsal plane of 1.8° was evident. In addition, there was no evidence of a relationship between the size of the facet joint angle and the degree of disc degeneration. Furthermore, regardless of the initial degree of degeneration, the discs showed low signal intensity and higher Seiler grade during follow-up.The results of the present study group indicate that an inconspicuous condition of the lumbar intervertebral discs at the time of the initial breeding examination in the young dog does not allow an accurate prediction of the subsequent degree of degeneration and that there are ongoing remodeling processes at the facet joints even in healthy German shepherd dogs.In dieser Langzeitbeobachtungsstudie sollten erstmals die Veränderungen der kaudalen Lendenwirbelsäule an den Lokalisationen L5/6, L6/7 und L7/S1 bei 5 Deutschen Schäferhunden im Abstand von 6 Jahren mithilfe der Computertomografie (CT) und Magnetresonanztomografie (MRT) evaluiert werden. Die Hunde waren zum Zeitpunkt der ersten Untersuchung im Mittel 26 Monate alt. Zudem wurde evaluiert, ob eine Zuchtuntersuchung im Hinblick auf eine Bandscheibendegeneration beim Junghund zielführend ist.Die Bandscheiben von L7/S1, L6/7 und L5/6 wurden im Hinblick auf ihre Signalintensitätsveränderung, die Facettengelenkwinkelveränderungen in dorsaler und transversaler Schnittebene sowie die Veränderungen der Bandscheibenfläche in sagittaler und transversaler Rekonstruktionsebene im Jahr 2015 und 2021 mittels CT und MRT genauer untersucht. Alle Daten wurden computergestützt erhoben und statistisch ausgewertet und anschließend mit der gemessenen Signalintensität sowie mit der in der Praxis verwendeten, subjektiven Bandscheibendegenerationseinteilungen nach Seiler verglichen.Es zeigte sich ein signifikanter Verlust der gemessenen Signalintensität der Bandscheiben in der transversalen Schnittebene sowie insgesamt eine Facettengelenkerweiterung in der transversalen Ebene von 0,54° sowie in der dorsalen Ebene von 1,8° im Zeitraum von 6 Jahren. Des Weiteren ergaben sich keine Hinweise auf einem Zusammenhang zwischen der Größe des Facettengelenkwinkels und dem Bandscheibendegenerationsgrad. Darüber hinaus wiesen die Bandscheiben unabhängig vom initialen Degenerationsgrad in der Verlaufskontrolle eine geringe Signalintensität und einen höheren Seiler Grad auf.Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Untersuchungsgruppe weisen darauf hin, dass ein unauffälliger Zustand der lumbalen Bandscheiben zum Zeitpunkt der Zuchtuntersuchung im Junghundehalter keine genaue Voraussage über den späteren Degenerationsgrad zulässt und es auch bei gesunden Deutschen Schäferhunden an den Facettengelenken zu fortwährenden Umbauprozessen kommt.

In postoperative monitoring of synovial structure infection due to limb wounds, early recognition of a recurrence of synovial infection is indispensable to prevent further damage to the affected synovial structure. This study evaluated the role of serum amyloid A (SAA) as a systemic biomarker in disease monitoring and correlated this tool with clinical variables.In this prospective cohort study, 55 horses with acute limb wounds were divided into two groups: those with (group 1, n = 26) or without (group 2, n = 29) a diagnosis of synovial structure penetration. SAA, lameness and body temperature were evaluated repeatedly and compared between groups. Correlations were explored between SAA and body temperature as well as lameness. The long-term outcome was also analysed.In both groups, SAA levels followed the characteristic rise-and-fall pattern observed in previous studies, with a significant increase up to a peak concentration within 48 hours, followed by a constant decline. Lameness and body temperature did not change significantly. SAA was not found to correlate with clinical variables at all time points. Three horses in group 1 had a recurrence of synovial sepsis with an associated increase in SAA. The long-term outcome was good. A total of 71% of the study population returned to pre-injury performance levels.Repeated measurements of SAA accurately reflected the course of synovial inflammation and thus provided a reliable and rapidly available tool to monitor the disease course and to adapt the treatment regimen. SAA should be routinely added to the postoperative management of such cases.

The timely diagnosis of abnormalities in the passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins is important for the health and development of newborn foals. This study investigated three different methods for measuring immunoglobulin G concentration in neonatal foals. Comparison of a commercial SNAP assay, total protein concentration determination, and total globulin calculation by subtracting the albumin fraction from total protein as an indirect parameter was performed on a quantitative ELISA, which served as a reference method. The study included 119 samples from 148 foals between the age of 1 and 6 days. A blood concentration of 800 mg/dL was considered to indicate adequate absorption of immunoglobulins, and a concentration of less than 400 mg/dL was considered to be hypogammaglobulinemia. The sensitivity of the SNAP test was 64.5% and specificity was 94.7% for diagnosing sufficient absorption of immunoglobulin G at a value of 800 mg/dL. A value of 54 g/L was found to be most appropriate for the use of total protein and provided a sensitivity of 67.3% and specificity of 84.2%. For total globulins, the most appropriate value was 27 g/L, which yielded a sensitivity of 74.5% and specificity of 81.6%. At values under 400 mg/dL, the sensitivity of the SNAP test was 89.4% and the specificity was 83.0%. Here, the most suitable value for the total protein was 51 g/L. This provides a sensitivity of 65.2% and a specificity of 76.8%. The most suitable concentration for the use of total globulin was determined to be 24 g/L, which provided a sensitivity of 75.8% and a specificity of 78.1%. The study and its results show that the SNAP test, the TP, and the TP-A method perform similarly well compared to the ELISA in determining IgG concentration of ≥800 mg/dL. Based on the 95% confidence intervals, however, the Snap test and the TP-A method appear to perform similarly well but better than the TP approach for IgG concentrations400 mg/dL.

Cats are known to be affected by hippocampal sclerosis, potentially causing antiseizure drug(s) resistance. In order to lay the foundation for a standardized, systematic classification and diagnosis of this pathology in cats, this prospective study aimed at evaluating normal reference values of cellular densities and the cytoarchitecture of the feline hippocampus. Three transverse sections (head, body and tail) of each left hippocampus were obtained from 17 non-epileptic cats of different brachycephalic and mesocephalic breeds and age classes (range: 3–17 years). Histological (hematoxylin and eosin, Nissl) and immunohistochemical (NeuN, GFAP) staining was performed to investigate neuron and astroglial cell populations, as well as the layer thickness of the pyramidal cell layer and granule cell layer. Significant differences in neuronal density (in CA2-CA4 and the granule cell layer) and layer thickness (in CA1-CA3 and the granule cell layer) were evidenced throughout the longitudinal hippocampal axis (p

Human-directed selective breeding has modified the phenotype of the modern Persian cat towards an extreme brachycephalic phenotype (‘peke-face’ Persian), which originates from a spontaneous mutation that first appeared in the 1950s in traditional Persian types. It was suggested that the peke-face phenotype results from pathologic skull development and might represent a craniosynostosis of the coronal sutures. We followed this hypothesis and investigated the time dependent status of the neurocranial sutures and synchondroses in an ontogenetic series of doll-faced and peke-faced Persian cats compared to Domestic Shorthair cats (DSHs). Cranial suture closure was assessed by examining an ontogenetic series of formalin-fixed head specimens (n = 55) and dry skulls (n = 32) using micro-computed tomography. Sagittal, metopic, coronal and lambdoid sutures as well as intersphenoidal, spheno-occipital and spheno-ethmoid synchondroses were examined. Logistic regression analysis was performed to test the global effect of age on suture closure within a group of peke-face Persians, doll-face Persians and DSHs and the 50% probability of having a closed suture was calculated and compared between groups. Age was a perfect predictor for the condition of the coronal sutures in peke-face Persians. Coronal sutures were found to be closed at 0–0.3 months. In doll-face and DSHs, coronal sutures were open throughout the lifetime with the exception of a few very old cats. Results of this study confirmed a coronal craniosynostosis that likely causes the extreme brachycephalic skull morphology in the peke-face Persian.

Since there is a practical need, this study focused on the behavior of 51 horses kept in one large group in order to make management suggestions regarding the animal:watering point ratio and the design of lying halls. Drinking events and interactions between pairs of horses were analyzed for 18 days as well as the occupancy time of the watering point. The time period had significant effects on drinking events with visible interactions (P.05). The highest least square means (LSM) and standard errors (SE) of drinking events with and without visible interaction were observed between 12 noon-2 p.m. (13.6 ± 2.2 and 8.6 ± 1.6 drinking events, respectively) which was also the time period of main occupancy of the watering point (41.9 ± 2.7 min/2 h). About 57% of drinking events were classed as with visible interaction, of which over 90% were mild (i.e. laying back of ears, tightening of face). Horses' behavior (resting while standing/others) and lying positions (sternal/lateral) in different lying halls were analyzed over 36 days by generalized mixed models. The sternal position was preferred (12.4% ± 1.4%-39.2% ± 3.0%) compared to the lateral one (1.4% ± 0.4%-8.3% ± 1.6%). Older horses spent significantly less time in the sternal position (13.8% ± 1.6%) and rested more standing (45.4% ± 3.3%) compared to younger horses (26.4% ± 4.5% and 29.1% ± 4.9%, respectively) (P.05). Overall, this study provides first insights into drinking and lying behavior of horses kept in a large group.

Background The intramuscular injection of ketamine and azaperone was proposed as a suitable anaesthesia for male suckling piglets for surgical castration. However, this can be opposed by massive defensive movements, hypothermia and tachycardia during castration and a long recovery period. The aim of the present study was to test whether the use of S-ketamine and/or a change in the route of application from intramuscular to intranasal could reduce stress responses and the duration of recovery compared to the intramuscular route and the use of racemic ketamine. Seventy-eight healthy, five-day-old male piglets were randomized to six treatment groups in a blinded experimental study, matched by litter and weight. Experimental groups were A (15 mg kg-1 S-ketamine + 2 mg kg-1 azaperone, i.m., surgical castration), B (15 mg kg-1 R/S-ketamine racemate + 2 mg kg-1 azaperone, i.m., surgical castration), C (30 mg kg-1 S-ketamine + 2 mg kg-1 azaperone, i.n., surgical castration), D (15 mg kg-1 R/S-ketamine racemate + 2 mg kg-1 azaperone, i.m.; not castrated), E (positive control group; no anesthesia, surgical castration) and F (negative control group; no anesthesia, not castrated). Results S-ketamine reduced the defensive movement score during castration to a similar extent to racemic ketamine when administered intramuscularly but not via the intranasal route. However, the effects of S-ketamine (both routes) on the increase in cortisol levels and decrease in body temperature were similar to those induced by racemic ketamine. A reduction of the long recovery time known for ketamine-azaperone anaesthesia could not be achieved with S-ketamine in the given dosage, regardless of the route of application. The intranasal administration of ketamine was difficult with the available formulation as the necessary amount exceeded the capacity of the nose cavity. Conclusions Neither the use of S-ketamine nor intranasal administration can be suitable alternatives for the anaesthesia of male suckling piglets for castration.

This study analyses tail and ear postures of growing pigs in two different housing systems throughout the growing period. On one farm, 168 undocked pigs (84: barren housing, 84: enriched housing) were observed individually at three time periods: beginning, middle and end of the growing period. By scan sampling, the tail (curled-up, raised, hanging, tucked under, wagging) and ear posture (forwards, sidewards, backwards, mixed) was noted. Scans were performed hourly during the activity periods by direct observation. Moreover, the body posture (standing, feeding, lying (eyes open), lying (eyes closed) and tail lesions were noted. Data were analysed using the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS. Results revealed significant differences between the enriched and barren group especially for curled-up tails, tucked under tails and ears directed forwards. More curled-up tails and ears directed forwards occurred in the enriched and more tucked under tails in the barren habitat. The time period of observation also had significant influences. Tail lesions had significant effects on most tail postures. Most ear postures were influenced by the body posture of the pigs. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of body language, specifically tail and ear postures in pigs.

In general, one animal is considered dominant over another animal if it has won more fights than its opponent. Whether this difference in won and lost fights is significant is neglected in most studies. Thus, the present study evaluates the impact of two different calculation methods for dyadic interactions with a significant asymmetric outcome on the results of social network analysis regarding agonistic interactions of pigs in three different mixing events (weaned piglets, fattening pigs and gilts). Directly after mixing, all animals were video recorded for 17 (fattening pigs, gilts) and 28 h (weaned piglets), documenting agonistic interactions. Two calculation methods for significant dyads, that is, dyadic interactions with a clear dominant subordinate relationship in which one animal has won significantly more fights than its encounter, were proposed: pen individual limits were calculated by a sign test considering the differences of won and lost fights of all dyadic interactions in each pen; dyad individual limits were determined by a one-sided sign test for each individual dyad. For all data sets (ALL, including all dyadic interactions; PEN or DYAD, including only significant dyads according to pen or dyad individual limits), networks were built based on the information of initiator and receiver with the pigs as nodes and the edges between them illustrating attacks. General network parameters describing the whole network structure and centrality parameters describing the position of each animal in the network were calculated. Both pen and dyad individual limits revealed only a small percentage of significant dyads for weaned piglets (12.4% or 8.8%), fattening pigs (4.2% or 0.6%) and gilts (3.6% or 0.4%). The comparison between the data sets revealed only high Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (rS) for the density, that is, percentage of possible edges that were actually present in the network, whereas the centrality parameters showed only moderate rS values (0.37 to 0.75). Thus, the rank order of the animals changed due to the exclusion of insignificant dyads, which shows that the results obtained from social network analysis are clearly influenced if insignificant dyads are excluded from the analyses. Due to the fact that the pen individual limits consider the overall level of agonistic interactions within each pen, this calculation method should be preferred over the dyad individual limits. Otherwise, too many animals in the group became isolated nodes with zero centrality for which no statement about their position within the network can be made.

The inclusion of edge weights can add valuable insights in the spreading processes within trade networks and may identify factors influencing the final epidemic size. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of different network versions on the outcome of an epidemiological model. The weighted network versions included the number of trade contacts (A), the sum of delivered livestock (B) and the mean number of delivered livestock per trade contact (C). Furthermore, other factors, e.g. transmission probability and farm type of primary outbreak, were tested for their impact on the final epidemic size. From 2013–2014, data from a pig trade network in Northern Germany was recorded containing 678 farms connected by 1,018 directed edges. An epidemiological model was implemented considering a higher probability of disease spread for edges with a higher weight for each of the combinations between network version and transmission probability. Only transmission routes following the network structure were considered for disease transmission. The outcome of the epidemiological model (number of infected farms) was tested with a generalized linear mixed model including the fixed effects network version (unweighted, A, B, C), transmission probability and farm type of primary outbreak (breeding farm, farrowing farm, finishing farm, farrow-to-finishing farm, unknown) as well as all twofold interactions. The results revealed that all fixed effects as well as all twofold interactions were significant (p ≤ 0.05), i.e. in the following only the impact of the interactions on the number of infected farms can be interpreted. Network versions B and C showed in all combinations the highest number of infected farms independent of the underlying transmission probability. The unweighted network and network version A showed a significant increase of infected farms with increasing transmission probability. All interactions including the farm type of primary outbreak revealed a significant higher number of infected farms for farm types located at the beginning of the production chain, e.g. breeding farms. These farm types reached also more other farms in 1–4 steps compared to farm types located near to the end of the production chain. The inclusion of edge weights has a significant effect on the outcome of epidemiological models and dependent on the chosen edge weight the results need to be interpreted accordingly.

Group housing is claimed to possibly provide horses with a species-appropriate movement possibility, and hence, better welfare. Thus, this study analyzed the daily walked distances of 51 horses held in one group in a "HIT Active Stable" (Hinrichs Innovation + Technik) in Northern Germany by using global positioning system (GPS) technology during a 7 ½-month time span. The daily walking distances of the whole group, as well as newcomers, were investigated. The horses traveled an average of 8.43 km/day. Linear mixed models were applied. The observation day had a significant effect on the daily walking distances (P.01) due to season and the available area per horse. The age as covariate also had a significant effect (P.01). The breed had no significant effect (P = .96). No significant differences were found in sex (P = .69), which can be explained by the fact that only mares and geldings were investigated, which do not show increasing locomotion caused by sexual behavior as stallions do. On six of the first nine days, new horses moved significantly more compared to the remaining 24 of the 30 observation days directly after individuals' inclusion. This is probably due to more exploration and rank-fighting behavior. Similar walking distances were seen among the horses on the single observation days because all horses had to travel the same distance to reach resources. Further, it is suspected that not all horses can sufficiently live out their urges to move, especially in winter, when pasture is inaccessible.

Recent analyses of animal movement networks focused on the static aggregation of trade contacts over different time windows, which neglects the system’s temporal variation. In terms of disease spread, ignoring the temporal dynamics can lead to an over- or underestimation of an outbreak’s speed and extent. This becomes particularly evident, if the static aggregation allows for the existence of more paths compared to the number of time-respecting paths (i.e. paths in the right chronological order). Therefore, the aim of this study was to reveal differences between static and temporal representations of an animal trade network and to assess the quality of the static aggregation in comparison to the temporal counterpart. Contact data from a pig trade network (2006–2009) of a producer community in Northern Germany were analysed. The results show that a median value of 8.7 % (4.6–14.1%) of the nodes and 3.1% (1.6–5.5%) of the edges were active on a weekly resolution. No fluctuations in the activity patterns were obvious. Furthermore, 50% of the nodes already had one trade contact after approximately six months. For an accumulation window with increasing size (one day each), the accumulation rate, i.e. the relative increase in the number of nodes or edges, stayed relatively constant below 0.07% for the nodes and 0.12 % for the edges. The temporal distances had a much wider distribution than the topological distances. 84% of the temporal distances were smaller than 90 days. The maximum temporal distance was 1000 days, which corresponds to the temporal diameter of the present network. The median temporal correlation coefficient, which measures the probability for an edge to persist across two consecutive time steps, was 0.47, with a maximum value of 0.63 at the accumulation window of 88 days. The causal fidelity measures the fraction of the number of static paths which can also be taken in the temporal network. For the whole observation period relatively high values indicate that 67% of the time-respecting paths existed in both network representations. An increase to 0.87 (0.82–0.88) and 0.92 (0.80–0.98), respectively, could be observed for yearly and monthly aggregation windows. The results show that the investigated pig trade network in its static aggregation represents the temporal dynamics of the system sufficiently well. Therefore, the methodology for analysing static instead of dynamic networks can be used without losing too much information.

The analysis of trade networks as well as the spread of diseases within these systems focuses mainly on pure animal movements between farms. However, additional data included as edge weights can complement the informational content of the network analysis. However, the inclusion of edge weights can also alter the outcome of the network analysis. Thus, the aim of the study was to compare unweighted and weighted network analyses of a pork supply chain in Northern Germany and to evaluate the impact on the centrality parameters. Five different weighted network versions were constructed by adding the following edge weights: number of trade contacts, number of delivered livestock, average number of delivered livestock per trade contact, geographical distance and reciprocal geographical distance. Additionally, two different edge weight standardizations were used. The network observed from 2013 to 2014 contained 678 farms which were connected by 1,018 edges. General network characteristics including shortest path structure (e.g. identical shortest paths, shortest path lengths) as well as centrality parameters for each network version were calculated. Furthermore, the targeted and the random removal of farms were performed in order to evaluate the structural changes in the networks. All network versions and edge weight standardizations revealed the same number of shortest paths (1,935). Between 94.4 to 98.9% of the unweighted network and the weighted network versions were identical. Furthermore, depending on the calculated centrality parameters and the edge weight standardization used, it could be shown that the weighted network versions differed from the unweighted network (e.g. for the centrality parameters based on ingoing trade contacts) or did not differ (e.g. for the centrality parameters based on the outgoing trade contacts) with regard to the Spearman Rank Correlation and the targeted removal of farms. The choice of standardization method as well as the inclusion or exclusion of specific farm types (e.g. abattoirs) can alter the results significantly. These facts have to be considered when centrality parameters are to be used for the implementation of prevention and control strategies in the case of an epidemic.

Transport of live animals is a major risk factor in the spread of infectious diseases between holdings. The present study analysed the pork supply chain of a producer community in Northern Germany. The structure of trade networks can be characterised by carrying out a network analysis. To identify holdings with a central position in this directed network of pig production, several parameters describing these properties were measured (in-degree, out-degree, ingoing and outgoing infection chain, betweenness centrality and ingoing and outgoing closeness centrality). To obtain the importance of the different holding types (multiplier, farrowing farms, finishing farms and farrow-to-finishing farms) within the pyramidal structure of the pork supply chain, centrality parameters were calculated for the entire network as well as for the individual holding types. Using these centrality parameters, two types of holdings could be identified. In the network studied, finishing and farrow-to-finishing farms were more likely to be infected due to the high number of ingoing trade contacts. Due to the high number of outgoing trade contacts multipliers and farrowing farms had an increased risk to spread a disease to other holdings. However, the results of the centrality parameters degree and infection chain were not always consistent, such that the indirect trade contacts should be taken into consideration to understand the real importance of a holding in spreading or contracting an infection. Furthermore, all calculated parameters showed a highly right-skewed distribution. Networks with such a degree distribution are considered to be highly resistant concerning the random removal of nodes. But by strategic removal of the most central holdings, e.g. by trade restrictions or selective vaccination or culling, the network structure can be changed efficiently and thus decompose into fragments. Such a fragmentation of the trade networks is of particular importance from an epidemiological perspective.

This study considered a simple SIR model for the spread of epidemics amongst holdings of a producer community in Northern Germany, based on the directed network of animal movements. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of different control measures to reduce the epidemic size substantially. The currently applied control measures based on the distance to an infected holding were compared with the control measures based on the specific network-based centrality parameters. We found that network-based measures led to a more efficient control of epidemics with a much smaller number of removed holdings. To assess the impact of different holding types, the analysed control measures were implemented by both including and excluding these holding types. The comparison revealed a crucial role of multipliers in the spread of an epidemic. The network- based control measures depending on the removal by out-degree, outgoing infection chain, betweenness centrality and outgoing closeness centrality showed the best results: In the three-year network, on average, 2.75, 4.15, 3.73 and 3.43 times more holdings had to be removed by the control measures based on the 1, 3, 5 and 10 km radius to reduce the epidemic to the same size compared with the network-based control measures. In an area with a higher holding density, the improvement of the network-based control measures may become even more obvious. The removal of holdings based on the above-mentioned centrality parameters did thus not only rapidly decompose the network into fragments, but also reduced the epidemic size most efficiently.