Housing conditions for dairy cows are thought to affect lameness, but almost no experimental work has addressed this link. The aim was to assess the effect of one feature of free-stall design, the position of the neck rail, testing the prediction that cows will be more likely to become lame if using pens with the neck rail positioned such that it prevents standing fully inside the stall. Cows (n = 32) were housed in 8 pens. Treatments were tested using a crossover design; treatments were allocated alternately to pens at the beginning of the experiment and switched halfway through the 10-wk experiment. Cows spent 27 +/- 3 min/d standing with all 4 feet in stalls with less restrictive neck rails. In contrast, cows averaged just 1 +/- 3 min/d when the neck rail was positioned restrictively. Cows spent less time standing with only the front 2 feet in the stall with less restrictive neck rails (33 vs. 49 +/- 6 min/d). Gait scores improved when cows were kept in the less restrictive stalls and worsened when cows were kept in pens with the restrictive neck rail (median score 2.5 vs. 3.5 after 5 wk on treatment). Of 13 new cases of lameness, 11 occurred in pens with the restrictive neck-rail position. Similarly, of the 16 new cases of sole lesions, 15 occurred during the period when cows were housed in pens with a restrictive neck rail. Stalls with the neck rail positioned less restrictively had higher contamination scores than stalls with the restrictive neck rails (3.7 vs. 0.4 +/- 0.2), and cows using those stalls had dirtier udders and longer teat-cleaning times (8.3 vs. 7.0 +/- 0.2 min for 12 cows). This study provides the first experimental evidence that aspects of stall design can reduce the risk of lameness and hoof disease. The results illustrated that changes in design that resulted in improvements in cow comfort and hoof health came at the expense of cow and stall cleanliness.

RESUMOA caracterização das populações canina e felina domiciliadas do município de São Paulo (SP) foi realizada utilizando-se amostragem complexa com seleção aleatória em dois estágios. Em cada distrito administrativo, foram visitados seis setores censitários e 20 domicílios em cada setor sorteado, de setembro de 2006 a setembro de 2009, totalizando 11.272 entrevistas. A razão homem:cão foi de 4,34, e a razão homem:gato de 19,33. A população canina foi estimada em 2.507.401, e a felina em 562.965. A população canina era composta por 52,7% de machos, e a felina por 45,1%. A proporção de fêmeas esterilizadas, 23,4% das cadelas e 46,1% das gatas, é maior que a de machos, 11,4% dos cães e 31,5% dos gatos. A idade média dos cães era de 4,99 anos e a dos gatos de 3,53 anos. A proporção de cães com restrição de acesso à rua, 64,4%, foi maior que a de gatos, 42,5%. A média de animais/domicílio foi estimada em 1,60 para cães e 1,69 para gatos. A guarda destes animais está associada a fatores culturais, assim a caracterização da população de animais é base da estruturação adequada de programas de controle populacional e de zoonoses.

ABSTRACT: Brucellosis is one of the most important and widespread bacterial zoonoses in the world. There are few epidemiological studies on brucellosis in cattle in the productive region of western Santa Catarina. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize the epidemiological aspects of bovine brucellosis reported in this region from 2013 to 2018. Cattle data were provided by the Integrated Company for Agricultural Development of Santa Catarina (Companhia Integrada de Desenvolvimento Agrícola de Santa Catarina - CIDASC). The prevalence of the disease was evaluated in cattle and herds by means of temporal trend analysis and spatial distribution. Bovines with tests showing positive for brucellosis were analyzed for location (municipality) and year of confirmation of diagnosis. In the study period (2013-2018), 686,086 tests were performed for brucellosis, with a prevalence rate of 1.11% (7,586/686,086). Among the 80,171 herds tested, 0.95% were found to be positive (764/80171). The odds ratio of brucellosis occurrence in cattle increased significantly in 2015 (OR = 1.55) and 2016 (OR = 1.97) and decreased in 2014 (OR = 0.47) and 2017 (OR = 0.97). The disease is present in cattle in 61.07% (80/131) of the municipalities where the tests were performed. Results showed that brucellosis is endemic in the region.

RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar o pós parto de fêmeas bovinas em três propriedades leiteiras da agricultura familiar do Realeza-Paraná, de agosto de 2013 a agosto de 2014. Coletou-se informações zootécnicas dos animais e rebanho, avaliado o ECC dos animais no periparto, parto e pós-parto, onde foi realizada avaliação ginecológica aos 30 e 60 dias pós-parto. Realizou-se análise estatística descritiva de frequência e correlações de referência cruzada. Das vacas, 58,2% (60/103) apresentaram involução uterina completa até os 60 dias pós-parto e 41,75% (43/103) não concluíram este evento até esse período. Em 25,24% (26/103) dos animais foi detectada a presença de corpo lúteo, indicando retorno à ciclicidade, e em 74,75% (77/103) o corpo lúteo não foi detectado até os 60 dias pós-parto. As correlações indicaram que vacas jovens (de até três anos e de três a cinco anos) apresentaram involução uterina mais precoce que aquelas com mais de cinco anos. Primíparas e vacas de dois a cinco partos apresentaram involução uterina mais precoce que vacas acima de cinco partos. Correlação positiva foi estabelecida entre o ECC dos animais com a presença de corpo lúteo, onde animais com ECC adequado (de 2,5 a 3,5) aos 30 dias pós-parto apresentaram maior chance de apresentarem corpo lúteo do que animais com ECC menor que 2,5. A idade e a ordem de partos demonstraram exercer influência no período de involução uterina e o ECC dos animais aos 30 dias pós-parto influenciou no período para a presença de corpo lúteo ovariano. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: eficiência reprodutiva, involução uterina, presença de corpo lúteo.

Livestock poisoning by plants is a frequent occurrence which determines severe losses, such as the fall in the milk and meat production, the cost of expensive treatments, the state of immunosuppression, or even the animal's death. Cattle ingest toxic plants only when there is food shortage, when they cannot select what they eat, or when they ingest food for preference, which is the case of Hovenia dulcis fruits, very rich in sucrose. This plant is widely distributed in the southern and southeastern Brazilian regions. In literature, there are some cases of severe human liver injury associated with a long-term of H. dulcis leaf and fruit tea intake, and only one report regarding spontaneous poisoning of goats caused by this plant ingestion. However, its toxic effects associated with spontaneous ingestion by cattle have never been reported. This paper reports the first case of spontaneous poisoning in cattle by H. dulcis, which occurred in a dairy farm in southwest Paraná, Brazil. Three cattle individuals showed anorexia, ruminal atony, severe diarrhea and neurological tournament, head pressing, blindness, ataxia, and circling. The necropsy of the animals was done, and the remaining alterations were restricted to the digestive system and brain. The clinical signs presented by the animals are characteristic of polioencephalomalacia (PEM), caused by changes in the thiamine metabolism. Furthermore, clinical signs, gross, and microscopic lesions as well as the large amount of the plant throughout the digestive segment led to a diagnosis.

A brucelose é uma das mais importantes e negligenciadas doenças zoonóticas. Objetivou-se com o estudo conhecer a epidemiologia, as perdas econômicas e os fatores de risco da brucelose em bovinos, equinos, cães e humanos no município de Flor do Sertão – Santa Catarina. Examinou-se para Brucella abortus, entre 2017 e 2018, 2.750 bovinos, de 131 propriedades; 20 equinos e 29 cães. Os testes sorológicos de triagem seguidos de confirmatório realizados foram o AAT e 2 ME/SAT. Para casos de brucelose humana, a secretaria de saúde do município concedeu 206 resultados sorológicos referentes ao mesmo período de estudo dos bovinos. Foram calculadas prevalências da doença para as populações e utilizado o teste da árvore de decisão, pelo programa estatístico Weka®, para estabelecer associação entre fatores de risco e a positividade de rebanhos. O teste de Spearman (GraphPad Prism®) foi utilizado para estabelecer correlação entre casos humanos e bovinos. 45,5% da população de bovinos do município foi testada, demonstrando prevalência de brucelose de 0,29%. As perdas econômicas anuais foram de R$ 14.747,92. Foram positivos 5,33% dos humanos testados. Os fatores associados com a positividade para a doença baseiam-se no consumo produtos lácteos sem tratamento térmico, e prevalência de brucelose acima de zero. Observou-se que em Flor do Sertão – SC, a prevalência de brucelose em bovinos é baixa, porém, elevada para focos. No entanto, a prevalência da doença em humanos foi elevada, sendo superior a prevalência animal, possivelmente decorrente dos fatores de risco associados a positividade da doença, como o consumo de lácteos crus.

Background: Canine lymphoma is the most common hematopoietic neoplasm in dogs and reveals divergent biological behaviors correlated to histopathological subtype, the immunophenotypic (T or B) and tumor stage. The multi-centric form is the most common presentation for canine lymphoma, followed by gastrointestinal and cutaneous forms. Miscellaneous forms of canine lymphoma (nasal, osseous, central nervous system and muscle) represent less than 1% of all cases. This report describes the clinical, macroscopic, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings detected in a dog with a primary muscular lymphoma.Case: The subject was referred to the Emergency and Critical Care Service at the Veterinary Hospital with a history of claudication in the left pelvic limb, severe dehydration, hypovolemia, vomiting and diarrhea caused by gastroenteritis associated with the use of phenylbutazone. After death, the post-mortem examination revealed ulcerative gastritis in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Histopathological examination of the GIT specimens, mesenteric lymph nodes, and the left popliteal lymph node revealed no neoplastic alterations. Histological examination of semitendinosus muscle revealed proliferation of cells with round or oval nucleus, an evident pleomorphic nucleolus and scanty, eosinophilic cytoplasm. There were five to six mitosis per each 400x field. These cells infiltrated through the muscle fibers. The muscle fibers displayed marked eosinophilic sarcoplasm, loss of striations and fragmentation (degeneration). Immunohistochemical staining revealed negative reaction for CD79a and positive for CD45 and CD3.Discussion: The primary muscle lymphoma it is very rare disease and patients commonly have clinical signs related with muscle location. Our description of muscular primary lymphoma affecting the semitendinosus muscle emphasize that it must be included as a differential diagnosis for dogs with unilateral lameness, inflammatory processes, and other malignancies. In this case, the patient showed an ulcerative gastroenteritis associated with the inappropriate use of phenylbutazone. The patient death was associated with a septicemia due to several ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract. We excluded any regional lymph node involvement and secondary muscular infiltration with post-mortem and histopathological examination. The gross evaluation of the left hind limb demonstrated only muscular involvement (semitendinosus muscle) without infiltration in the adjacent structures, and the histopathology revealed no alteration in the regional lymph node. The immunohistochemical evaluation showed negative staining to CD79a, a high number of positive cells to Ki67 and positive staining to CD45 and CD3. In normal lymph nodes, it was possible to note CD79 diffuse expression in germinal centers in lymphoid follicles and few positive B-lymphocytes in medullary region. Diffuse CD3 expression was found in cortex region by normal Tlymphocytes. There was no histological alterations in sublumbar and popliteal lymph nodes. This immunohistochemical and histological patterns revealed a Peripheral T Cell lymphoma with a high proliferative index. The previous report of primary muscular lymphoma showed a T cell lymphoma with a high proliferative index similar to our findings. Based on macroscopic, histopathological, and immunohistochemical findings it was concluded that the patient had a primary muscular Peripheral T Cell lymphoma.

The aim of this study was to measure the occurrence of brucellosis, leptospirosis and neosporosis in cows from 25 family farms milk, with semi-intensive grazing system, located in the Southwest region of Paraná, Brazil. Eighty-four cows with retained placenta, between July 2013 to July 2014, diagnosed by the presence of fetal membranes in the uterus up to 12 hours after partum, decrease of appetite and of milk production, as well increase of rectal temperature were included into the study. The animals were submitted to blood collection for evaluating the seropositivity for brucellosis, leptospirosis and neosporosis. The blood was collected at 15 to 45 days postpartum, avoiding false negative results due to immune deficiency observed in the transition period. After collection, the blood was centrifuged, the serum was packed in three aliquots, identified and subsequently frozen. Serology was performed to diagnose brucellosis (technique of buffered acidified antigen), leptospirosis (through the microscopic agglutination test - MAT) and neosporosis (indirect immunofluorescence test). Animals were considered positive when presenting titer >1:100 (leptospirosis) and 1:200 (neosporosis). No animal with placenta retention presented Brucella abortus bacteria; 39% (33/84) were reactive to one or more Leptospira serovars, 15% (13/84) were positive to Neospora caninum, and 4% (4/84) had both diagnosis, being reactive for leptospirosis and neosporosis. In conclusion, data from this experiment inspires greater attention to leptospirosis and neosporosis in dairy cattle presenting placenta retention in southwest Paraná.