The diagnosis of unstable non-acid milk (UNAM) in Brazil is overlooked due to the lack of information about this problem available to dairy farmers, mainly in the North region of the country. This report describes the occurrence of UNAM in three dairy farms of family farmers in northern Tocantins state, Brazil, who use animal feed based on Urochloa brizantha without mineral supplementation. The animals had been subjected to a poor feeding practice, with low quantity and quality, due to the dry period in the region and inappropriate nutritional management. Fourteen animals that presented alterations in milk characteristics were subjected to 72% alizarol test, California mastitis test, strip cup test, somatic cell count (SCC), boil test, physical-chemical and microbiological analyses, and search for undesirable substances. The time of lactation, udder health, and serum glucose level of animals, and soil and forage quality were also evaluated. The results showed 42% animals diagnosed with mastitis, 21% of them with clinical and 21% with subclinical mastitis; and 78% of animals with samples positive for the alizarol and boil tests, and Dornic acidity between 14° and 18°, characterizing positive cases for UNAM. Only one animal presented SCC above the limit established by the Brazilian legislation. The animals presented undamaged teats and no alteration in glycemia. Changes in nutritional management were recommended and done and the alizarol tests were redone after 14 days, showing all negative results for UNAM. The conclusion is that incorrect nutritional management is the main cause of UNAN in the studied cases.
The Brazilian dairy sector is important for the world agricultural production; however, it presents problems in production efficiency and milk quality, since the occurrence of mastitis in the herds can reach 47%. The present study analyzed data from a rural property with 100 lactating cows in a semi-intensive breeding system, which did not adopt adequate hygiene management for milking processes. Corrective measures were proposed, such as daily strip cup test, biweekly California Mastitis Test, formation of a new milking line, and daily pre dipping and post dipping and cleaning of teat cups. Milk samples from 10 animals with positive clinical mastitis, 10 animals with positive subclinical mastitis, and from the cooling tank were collected at one day before and 90 days after the implementation of the proposed measures and sent to a laboratory for analysis of somatic cell counting (SCC) and total bacteria counting (TBC). An increase of 17% in milk production and decreases of 64% and 40% in clinical and subclinical mastitis, respectively, were found after 90 days, with a consequent decrease in SCC and TBC. The milking duration after this period denoted an adaptation of the employees to the new procedures. The production financial yield was calculated based on the implementation costs of the adopted adequations and increases in milk production, representing a profitability increase of 10.4%. The implemented adequations were efficient for the control of mastitis and increase in milk yield and quality, resulting in a positive economic return.
Background: The use of teaser rams is an essential practice for detecting estrus in ewes as well as for accelerating puberty and synchronizing ovulation in the animal. There are several methods for preparing teasers, and the method used should be based on an assessment of the producer’s requirements. The ideal technique should be low cost and safe, ensuring the non-fertilization of ewes. This study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of two reversible teaser preparation techniques using a reversible plastic clamp. The techniques were compared in terms of functionality, possible post-surgical complications, and hematological changes of the rams as well as durability and reversibility.Materials, Methods & Results: Twelve healthy rams, aged 14-20 months, were divided into two groups (G1 and G2). Blood samples were collected through the jugular vein to perform the following analyses: blood count, total plasma protein, and fibrinogen. Following local infiltrative anesthesia with 5.0 mL 2% lidocaine without vasoconstrictor, the procedure was performed as follows: in G1, the preputial ostium was partially closed, and in G2, sigmoid flexure was performed in the cranial region, approximately 5-8 cm immediately caudal to the scrotal sac. In the postoperative period, 20 mg/kg oxytetracycline and 2.2 mg/kg flunixinmeglumine were intramuscularly administered as a single dose. The wounds were dressed, sprayed with repellent, and allowed to heal for seven days. The procedures in both groups were simple to perform, low cost, and low risk; caused minimal tissue injury; enabled rapid recovery; promoted little or no stress to the animals; are reversible; and left no complications. The animals of both groups satisfactorily identified the females in estrus during the three-month experimental period, maintained libido, and failed to mate with any female. The blood count levels remained within normal range in both groups evaluated at different time intervals. Hyperfibrinogenemia was observed in four animals of G1 and in three animals of G2 at T2, with a mean level of 600 mg/dL. However, the values returned to normal at T3 in both G1 and G2, when the mean observed fibrinogen level was 400 mg/dL.Discussion: Since these are simple, rapid procedures with low tissue injury and a simple anesthetic protocol, the animals showed rapid recovery, without intra or postoperative complications, enabling the immediate initiation of work. The techniques, therefore, demonstrate several advantages over the other techniques described above. It is estimated that the techniques used in this study are more economically viable than other techniques described in the literature, which require medium to high complexity procedures and long postoperative treatments and carry the risk of affecting the animal’s libido, making the animal unviable and more liable to be disposed. However, disposing of such animals represents great losses, as it interferes with the reproductive management and pregnancy of several females on the farm. In addition, the conventional techniques are irreversible, which means that these animals cannot be used for other purposes. The reversible techniques presented in this study allowed the teasers to successfully identify females in heat without mating with them because there was no exteriorization of the penis. The results of the blood count confirm that the procedures did not generate extensive tissue lesions, stress, pain, inflammation, or infection.
Bovine enzootic hematuria (BEH) is a chronic disease caused by ingestion of Pteridium esculentum subsp. arachnoideum (Kaulf.) Thomson. This disease has great importance because it affects the animal wellbeing, causes economic losses, and hinders public health due to the toxic principle that is present in the milk of cows that ingest this plant. Early diagnosis assists in the decision making for disposal and replacement of animals in endemic regions. Despite ultrasonography is a useful tool for diagnosis of this disease, there is a lack of studies evaluating BEH in the state of Tocantins, Brazil, using ultrasound and epidemiological data and clinical signs; however, the histopathological examination is the method that provides the definitive diagnosis. The objective of this study was to describe the occurrence of BEH in the state of Tocantins and evaluate the efficiency of bladder ultrasound examination for diagnosis and prognosis of BEH. Ten animals that presented intermittent hematuria and hypo-colored mucous membranes were subjected to clinical and complementary exams. The urine physical analysis presented light red color, high turbidity, and positive sedimentation. The ultrasonography showed a thick, irregular mass in the bladder wall, containing an echogenic liquid of high cellularity and pedunculated papillary lesions. Macro and microscopic analyses of the animals’ bladders showed areas with vascular proliferation in the sub-mucous membranes associated with mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate and proliferation of the epithelium. Ultrasonography is an excellent option and, combined with clinical and laboratory exams of blood and urine, enables the diagnosis and prognosis of BEH.
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