Numerous adjunct therapeutic agents have been investigated for the treatment or control of fat mobilization syndrome in periparturient dairy cows. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of multiple i.v. injections of 10% butaphosphan and 0.005% cyanocobalamin combination (Catosal, Bayer Animal Health, Leverkusen, Germany) between 1 and 2 wk antepartum (a.p.) on the metabolism and health of dairy cows. Forty-five late-gestation Holstein-Friesian cows (second pregnancy) were allocated randomly to 1 of 3 groups with 15 cows/group: group C6 (6 daily i.v. injections of butaphosphan at 10 mg/kg of body weight (BW) and cyanocobalamin at 5 microg/kg of BW in the last 2 wk of gestation); group C3 (3 daily i.v. injections of butaphosphan at 10 mg/kg of BW and cyanocobalamin at 5 microg/kg of BW in the last week of gestation); and group C0 (equivolume daily i.v. injections of 0.9% NaCl solution). Serum biochemical analysis was performed on jugular venous blood samples that were periodically obtained a.p. and postpartum (p.p.). Health status and milk production were monitored p.p. Serum cyanocobalamin concentration increased in groups C6 and C3 p.p. Multiple daily i.v. injections of Catosal before parturition increased p.p. glucose availability, as evaluated by p.p. serum glucose concentration, and decreased peripheral fat mobilization and ketone body formation, as evaluated by p.p. serum nonesterified fatty acid and beta-OH butyrate concentrations. The number of puerperal infections in the first 5 d after calving was decreased in group C6, relative to group C0. We conclude that multiple injections of Catosal during the close-up period have a beneficial effect on the metabolism of periparturient dairy cows. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that high-producing dairy cows in early lactation may have a relative or actual deficiency of cyanocobalamin.
The present study was designed to investigate the prevalence of the pathogenic coccidia species E. bovis and E. zuernii in shed-reared animals in German dairy and fattening facilities.Samples were obtained from 65 cattle farms distributed randomly across all the regions of Germany, regardless of the occurrence of clinical problems. The samples were obtained rectally. Faecal consistency and the total number of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) were determined for Eimeria spp., along with the separate OPG values for Eimeria (E.) bovis and E. zuernii. A questionnaire was completed for each farm to record information about herd size and management together with individual animal data. Eimeria oocysts, regardless of the kind of Eimeria spp., were detected in 62 of these farms, which gives a prevalence of 95.4 %. The farm prevalence of the pathogenic species was 76.9 % for E. bovis and 83.1 % for E. zuernii. The average oocyst excretion level was 2,950 OPG in terms of total Eimeria spp. oocyst excretion, 700 OPG for E. bovis and 1,500 OPG for E. zuernii.The number of oocysts excreted could not be correlated significantly with farm type or farm management but depended on the floor type which influences the infection pressure, on the age of the calves and the time after rehousing. In general, higher oocyst excretion rates were found in calves kept on litter compared to rearing on slatted floor. Younger calves and calves sampled early after housing shed higher amounts of oocysts than older calves and calves stabled a longer period before sampling, respectively. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between OPG and the observation of diarrhoea, defined as observation of a loose to liquid faecal consistency. Excretion of E. zuernii oocysts was more closely linked to the occurrence of diarrhoea than E. bovis oocyst excretion. This study confirms that the pathogenic coccidia E. bovis and E. zuernii are ubiquitous in German cattle populations and a significant cause of diarrhoeal disease in calf rearing.
In this study, 51 piglets originating from five different sows were included in the investigations. The animal source of all sows had a history of Clostridium perfringens type A (β2) infection. The piglets of three sows (n = 31) were experimentally infected with Isospora suis within the first 4 h after birth and were randomly assigned to the treatment group or the sham-dosing group. The piglets of the two remaining sows (n = 20) served as I. suis-uninfected controls. Twelve hours post-infection, the animals in the treatment group (n = 15) were treated with toltrazuril (20 mg/kg BW, Baycox® 5% suspension). During an observation period of 14 days faecal consistency, faecal oocyst counts, faecal germ counts, mortality, body weight development and clinical status were recorded. One piglet per study group and litter was necropsied, and intestinal tissue samples were taken for histopathological investigations and in situ hybridisation on study days (SDs) 3 and 14. I. suis-infected but untreated piglets showed clinical disease resulting in liquefaction of faeces and decreased body weight development. In 59.2% of the observations, I. suis-infected but untreated piglets showed abnormal faecal consistencies whereas only 12.0% or respectively 4.4% of the faecal samples had a pasty consistency in the I. suis-infected-treated or in the control animals. The mean body weight at the end of the study was 3.37 kg in the I. suis-infected but untreated piglets while the average body weight in the I. suis-infected-treated animals was calculated as 4.42 kg and the control animal's mean body weight was 4.45 kg. Moreover, mortality, occurring between SDs 8 and 14, in this study group was 38.5% (n = 5), with 30.8% (n = 4) died from necrotic enteritis. In contrast, no piglets died in the I. suis-uninfected control group or in the toltrazuril-treated study group. The results of this study corroborate the hypothesis that simultaneous infection with I. suis and C. perfringens type A soon after birth leads to distinct interactions between the two pathogens and result in an increase in clinical disease, mortality and metabolically active C. perfringens type A.
Nationwide surveys for the occurrence of Isospora suis were carried out in Germany, Austria and Switzerland including a questionnaire regarding herd size, health status and management practices and a coccidiosis sampling kit for pooled faecal samples from litters of suckling piglets. A total of 184 veterinary practices participated in the survey and returned 1745 samples (331 kits) from 324 farms in the north (n = 98), south (n = 84), centre/east (n = 42) and west (n = 10) of Germany, Austria (n = 61) and Switzerland (n = 29) with larger farms in north and centre/east (average number of sows: 270 and 500) and smaller ones in the south (95), Austria (60) and Switzerland (43). Larger farms tended to have better hygienic standards (slatted floors, disinfection of the farrowing units). The majority of the participating farms (93.5%) reported problems with diarrhoea in piglets at 2-3 weeks of age, significantly associated (P < 0.001) with uneven weaning weights (94.9%). Toltrazuril (5%; Baycox) was used only rarely; however, in these farms unevenness of weaning weights was less frequently observed (P = 0.011). A 76.2% of the farms were positive for I. suis (samples contained mostly low or moderate oocyst numbers), especially in the south (P < 0.001). Oocysts were more frequently found in samples from farms with reported diarrhoea (P = 0.011), uneven weight gain (P = 0.019) or in herds of small size (P < 0.001). Disinfection, floor type or treatment with toltrazuril did not affect the frequency of observation of oocysts.
The present study was designed to investigate the prevalence of the pathogenic coccidia species Eimeria bovis and Eimeria zuernii in shed-reared animals in German dairy and fattening facilities. Samples were obtained from 65 cattle farms distributed randomly across all the regions of Germany regardless of the occurrence of clinical problems. The samples were obtained rectally. Faecal consistency and the total number of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) were determined, along with the OPG values for E. bovis and E. zuernii. A questionnaire was completed for each farm to record information about herd size and management, along with individual animal data. Eimeria oocysts were detected in 62 of these farms, which give a prevalence of 95.4%. The farm prevalence of the pathogenic species was 76.9% for E. bovis and 83.1% for E. zuernii. The number of oocysts excreted could not be correlated significantly with farm type or farm management but depended on the floor type, the age of the calves and the time after rehousing. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between OPG and the observation of diarrhoea. E. zuernii had a greater influence on the occurrence of diarrhoea than E. bovis. This study confirms that herd management frequently does not meet the requirements of effective coccidia control despite the fact that the pathogenic coccidia E. bovis and E. zuernii are ubiquitous in German cattle populations.
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