Andy Hopker

Investigation of productivity in a south Indian Malabari goat herd shows opportunities for planned animal health management to improve food security

Here the authors report the objective veterinary clinical measurement of productivity in a representative south Indian Malabari goat herd. The authors show failure to meet pragmatic production targets that are commensurate with the animals’ genetic potential or adequate to meet the demands of global food security. The authors suggest that this situation may have arisen as a consequence of animal husbandry constraints and protein undernutrition and imply the involvement of nematode parasitism. Benzimidazole resistance was detected in Haemonchus species, showing the need for better understanding of the principles of sustainable helminth parasite control within the southern Indian context. This study highlights the need to understand the true costs of goat production in seasonally resource-poor environments, while also considering its impact on the overall ecosystem in which the animals are placed. They conclude that pragmatic opportunities for improvements in goat production efficiency lie in the development of problem-focused planned animal health and nutrition management.

Successful treatment of a multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection following a digit amputation in a Belgian Blue calf

Digit amputation is a commonly performed surgery in cattle practice. The most frequent reason for digit amputation is septic pedal arthritis, but other indications include severe trauma, pedal osteitis, non-healing sole, wall or toe ulcers, osteomyelitis of P2, septic tenosynovitis of the distal digital flexor tendons and other infectious processes of the deep digital structures. The procedure is considered a salvage procedure, but good rates of success are reported. The size of the patient is one of the key determinants of prognosis, with reported success rates varying between bulls, cows and calves. Reported complications include haemorrhage, avascular necrosis of the phalangeal fragments, wound infection and fracture of the partner claw. In this case report the authors describe digit amputation under regional and general anaesthesia for the treatment of proximal interphalangeal septic arthritis and the subsequent wound management in the face of a multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.

Correction: Delivery and evaluation of participatory education for animal keepers led by veterinarians and para-veterinarians around the Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, India

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200999.].

Practical Lambing and Lamb Care: A Veterinary Guide

. Chapter 1 General Lambing Management . Chapter 2 Specific Causes of Lamb and Kid Mortality . Chapter 3 Husbandry and Health Planning to Prepare for Lambing or Kidding: Ensuring Pregnancy in Ewes and Does . Chapter 4 Husbandry and Health Planning to Prepare for Lambing: Nutritional Management of Pregnant Ewes and Does . Chapter 5 Husbandry and Health Planning to Prepare for Lambing: Health Management of Pregnant Ewes and Does . Chapter 6 Identifying Unwell Ewes and Lambs, Does and Kids . Chapter 7 Legislation . Index

An outbreak of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) in a herd vaccinated with a live glycoprotein E deleted (marker) bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) vaccine: lessons to be learned

Vaccines are commonly used in the control of bovine respiratory disease; however, the field performance of these vaccines is poorly understood. We describe an outbreak of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis in a 383-animal beef finishing unit in Scotland four months after vaccination with a live glycoprotein E deleted (marker) bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) vaccine. Seroconversion to the vaccine was confirmed in acute sera, and seroconversion to field virus was confirmed in convalescent sera. BoHV-1 was also identified in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and conjunctival swabs using PCR. This outbreak highlights the importance of the reporting of veterinary vaccine suspected lack of expected efficacy events, as well as the paucity of data available to practitioners relating to the field performance of veterinary vaccines.