Emanuela Valle

Effectiveness of a feed supplement in advanced stages of feline chronic kidney disease

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a very common pathology in cats, especially in the geriatric age. A proper renal diet is considered the current standard of care to enhance patients’ long-term survival and quality of life. However, when diet alone is not sufficient, it is necessary to supplement it with specific substances: these are phosphate binders and alkalinizing agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a feed supplement containing calcium carbonate, calcium lactate gluconate, chitosan and sodium bicarbonate in controlling hyperphosphatemia and metabolic acidosis in cats with severe CKD (IRIS, International Renal Interest Society, stage 3 and 4). Materials, Methods & Results: 10 cats (median BW 4.00 (3.20; 5.70) Kg, BCS 3/5 (2.25; 3.75), 11 (8.25;12.00) years) fed with a balanced renal diet were included in the study. To be enrolled in the study cats had to be affected by CKD in stages 3 or 4 and show hyperphosphatemia. Treatment consisted in oral administration of the product (Renal, Candioli Pharma) at 0.2 g/kg/day mixed with the food for 60 days. The animals were evaluated at the beginning of the study and at 15, 30, 60 days (T0, T15, T30, T60) for: clinical condition, BW, BCS, blood pressure and for routinely hematochemical, biochemical and urinary parameters. Owners were asked to assess appetite of the cat, palatability of the supplement, presence of vomit and/or diarrhoea, general health and vitality. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS software. After checking normality data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests. Results are expressed as median (interquartile range). For the parameters P (P < 0.0001), iCa (P = 0.0008) and HCO3 (P = 0.0002) there were statistically significant differences among times of supplementation (T0, T15, T30, T60). Statistically significant reduction of serum phosphorus concentration was obtained through the study (reduction of 59% at T60 vs T0). Also a statistically significant increase of bicarbonate was seen (7% from T0 to T60). At T60 was also recorded an increase of ionized calcium level, which however was in normal range. For the other laboratory parameters, no statistical difference was recorded. All the owners reported a good palatability of the product. The decrease of vomit and diarrhea episodes and the increase of the appetite reported were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Discussion: The restriction of available dietary phosphorus is now recognised as one of the major contributors in slowing the disease progression and improving survival rates. Phosphate binders are able to absorb phosphate (P) in the intestine, forming insoluble products that are eliminated with the faeces, thus decreasing serum phosphate levels. The phosphate binders contained in the product tested in the present trial were chitosan, calcium lactate gluconate and calcium carbonate. During the study P decreased significantly from T0 to T60, reaching the target post-treatment plasma P concentration for IRIS stage 3 after 30 days. Another important recommendation for CKD treatment is to use alkalinisation therapy if metabolic acidosis is present. The feed supplement tested in this study also contained sodium bicarbonate. In our study, 90% of the patients at the inclusion examination had metabolic acidosis. At the end of the study, the median blood bicarbonate concentration was in the normal range, thus reaching the IRIS treatment target. The feed supplement tested was therefore effective in reducing blood phosphate levels and in increasing blood bicarbonate levels, thus improving the cats’ clinical conditions for the duration of the study without any adverse effect.

Changes in oxidative stress in response to different levels of energy restriction in obese ponies.

The present study evaluated the effect of different levels of energy restriction on metabolic parameters in obese ponies. Relative weight changes, markers of lipid metabolism and oxidant/antioxidant balance were monitored. A total of eighteen obese (body condition score ≥ 7/9) Shetland ponies were studied over a 23·5-week trial, which was divided into three periods. The first period involved a 4-week adaptation period in which each animal was fed 100% of their maintenance energy requirements needed to maintain a stable obese body weight (MERob). This was followed by a 16·5-week weight-loss period in which ponies were assigned to receive either 100% (control group, CONTROL), 80% (slow weight-loss (SLOW) group) or 60% (rapid weight-loss (RAPID) group) of their MERob. During the 3-week end-phase period, all ponies were again fed 100% of their MERob. Relative weight loss was higher in the RAPID group (P< 0·001) compared with the SLOW group. No linear relationship was found as a doubling of the percentage of energy restriction was accompanied by a tripling of the percentage of weight loss. Relative weight gain afterwards in the end-phase period was higher in the RAPID group (P< 0·001) compared with the SLOW and CONTROL groups. During the weight-loss period, TAG and NEFA concentrations were highest in the RAPID group, as were α-tocopherol and ferric-reducing ability of plasma concentrations. After 8 weeks of weight loss, the concentrations of advanced oxidation protein products were higher in the RAPID group compared with the SLOW and CONTROL groups (P< 0·001). In conclusion, the level of energy restriction influences the extent of changes in oxidant/antioxidant balance. Practically, more severe energy restriction regimens may be associated with a greater regain of weight after the restriction period.

A functional approach to the body condition assessment of lactating donkeys as a tool for welfare evaluation

Background The breeding of lactating donkeys is increasing in Western Europe; with it the evaluation of body condition is growing in importance since it is considered a key principle for their welfare. However, assessment of body condition is a complex task, since several factors are involved. The aim of the present study is to investigate which animal-based indicators are the most reliable to describe the body condition of lactating donkeys. For this purpose, new animal-based indicators, which are easy to measure in field conditions (including body measurements, fatty neck score (FNS), dental score), are recorded and their relationship with BCS (a proxy measure for overall adiposity) was assessed. The ones that reveal an association with the BCS are included in an integrated principal component analysis to understand which are the most related to BCS. Methods Fifty-three healthy lactating donkeys of various breeds, including 7 Martina Franca, 10 Ragusano, 2 Romagnolo and 34 crossbreeds, were evaluated. The animal-based indicators that were recorded were: length (OP, olecranon tuber-pinbone and SH, shoulder-hip), heart girth (HG), abdominal circumference (AC), neck length (NL), neck height (NH) and neck thickness (NT) at 0.50 and neck circumference (NC) at 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75, body condition score (BCS) and fatty neck score (FNS). The owners’ evaluation of the BCS was also considered. A dental assessment was performed and the month of lactation and age of each animal was recorded. Results No correlation was found between BCS and the other morphometric body measurements. On the contrary the FNS was correlated with the morphometric measurements of the neck (positive correlation to 0.50 NH and 0.50 NT, 0.50 NC, 0.75 mean NC, and negative correlation to the mean NC:NH and mean NC:NT, 0.50 NC:NT and 0.50 NC:NH ratios). A significant inverse relationship was identified between BCS and dental score. A Principal Component analysis (PCA) separated the BCS classes on the first principal component (PC1). PC1 revealed a meaningful positive correlation between the BCS and the neck measurements (NT, NH and FNS), with high positive loadings, while a negative correlation was found for dental abnormalities. The owners’ evaluation of BCS was different from the expert evaluator’ assessment, since they tended to give higher score that was slightly but significantly correlated to AC. Discussion A new scoring system, called Fatty Neck Score (FNS), has been proposed for the judgement of the adiposity status of donkey neck. The results suggest that caregivers might use the proposed animal based indicators (BCS, FNS and dental scores) together as a tool for the evaluation of the body condition of lactating donkeys. Our findings highlight that caregivers need to be trained in order to be able to properly record these indicators. Ultimately use of these indicators may help to improve the welfare of lactating donkeys.

An association between feather damaging behavior and corticosterone metabolite excretion in captive African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus).

Background African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) are kept as pets and are frequently hand-reared. It has been observed that hand-reared African grey parrots may develop behavioral disorders such as feather damaging behavior (FDB). It is well known that chronic stress is involved in behavioral disorders in captive parrots. The main glucocorticoid in birds is corticosterone; its quantification provides information about adrenocortical activity and is considered to be a reliable indicator of stress levels in birds. We analyzed the differences in the excretion of corticosterone metabolites (CM) in the droppings of African grey parrots characterized by: 1. different rearing histories (parent rearing vs. hand rearing); and 2. the presence or absence of FDB in hand-reared parrots. Methods A total of 82 African grey parrots that were kept in captivity were considered. According to breeding methods, three groups of birds were defined: 1. The parent-reared (PR) parrots included birds kept in pairs (n = 30 pairs) with a conspecific partner of the opposite sex. All of these birds were healthy and never showed FDB signs; 2. The healthy hand-reared parrots (H-HR) included pet parrots individually kept, that were hand-reared and did not display any sign of FDB (n = 11, 7 males and 4 females); 3. The FDB hand-reared parrot (FDB-HR) included pet parrots individually kept, that were hand-reared and displayed FDB (n = 11, 7 males and 4 females). Droppings were collected in the morning over three alternating days in autumn 2014 and spring 2015. The CM were determined using a multi-species corticosterone enzyme immunoassay kit. Split-plot repeated-measure ANOVA was used to examine any differences using group, season and group × season as the main factors. Results Different quantities of CM in droppings were found for the three groups. The mean CM value was 587 ng/g in the PR parrots, 494 ng/g in the H-HR parrots and 1,744 ng/g in the FDB-HR parrots, irrespective of the season. The excretion of CM in FDB-HR was significantly higher than in PR or H-HR parrots. CM in droppings were not influenced by the season (autumn vs. spring); furthermore, the interaction between group and sampling season was not significant. Limited to the H-HR and FDB-HR groups, a trend in the significance of the difference in the mean CM excreted by male and female birds was observed, with the levels excreted by males being higher than those excreted by females. When the effect of age was considered (in the two separate groups), there was a statistically significant positive correlation only for H-HR. Conclusions The highest amount of CM excretion was found in FDB-HR parrots, and a positive correlation between age and CM excretion was found in H-HR. Given that the CM excretion of both PR and H-HR parrots was similar in our study, future research is recommended to investigate the specific aspects of hand-rearing to improve parrot welfare.

Effects of abrupt housing changes on the welfare of Piedmontese cows

Abstract The Italian Piedmontese cattle breed is traditionally housed in tie-stalls and, to a lesser extent, in loose housing systems with free stalls. The present study has compared the same group of 15 cattle before and after stable renovation (tie-stall vs free-stall housing) funded by Regulation (EU) No. 1305/2013. All the animals remained healthy during the trial, no clinical signs were observed and no mastitis occurred. The tested parameters were: locomotion scoring system, salivary cortisol, blood parameters, serum acute phase protein (albumin, haptoglobin, serum amyloid A and lysozyme). Samples were collected 3 times: before the change (T1), 3 days later (T2), 40 days later (T3). The change in housing determined noteworthy variations in the stress parameters: albumin and total protein displayed the lowest value at T2, while lysozyme displayed the lowest value at T3. Among the App, SAA and Hp were not affected by the sampling time. Salivary cortisol displayed the highest value at T1. This study suggests that tie-stall housing can endanger the welfare of animals, and it is hoped that this farming system will be abandoned in the future.

Estimation of the workload in horses during an eventing competition

The aim of this study was to evaluate workload using suitable parameters related to the physical effort exerted by horses involved in eventing competitions in order to describe the workload intensity and energy demands placed upon such horses. Heart rate (HR), running speed (S), distance covered (Dist), performance duration (D) and blood lactate (Lact) concentrations were measured in horses competing at either the intermediate level (IL) or advanced level (AL) in order to identify workload differences between experience classes. Ten warmblood horses were monitored during an official two-day eventing competition; mean HR (HRmean, bpm), maximum HR (HRmax, bpm), mean S (Smean, m/min), max S (Smax, m/min), D (min) and Dist (m) were assessed during the warm-up and competition phases of each eventing test (dressage, show jumping, cross country). To calculate heart rate recovery (HRR), HR data were collected within the first 3 minutes following the completion of each of the 3 competition phases. Energy expenditu...

Observations of the haematological, haematochemical and electrophoretic parameters in lactating donkeys ( Equus Asinus )

&NA; A cross‐sectional study was conducted on 92 female donkeys. Blood samples were collected, and the following parameters were evaluated: red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte (MON), eosinophil (EOS) and basophil counts, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and the hematocrit (HCT), alanine aminotransferase (GPT), aspartate aminotransferase, total proteins, &ggr;‐glutamyl‐transferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, urea, and blood urea nitrogen and electrophoretic profile. Age (≥2 years ≤ 3 [very young], >3 years ≤ 10 [young], and >10 years ≤ 17 [adult]) and lactation (early lactation [≤3 months], middle [>3 months ≤ 6], and late lactation [>6 months]). Groups were independently analyzed using one‐way analysis of variance or Kruskal–Wallis (post hoc test: Bonferronis or Dunns multiple test) tests; P was set as <.05. Very young animals had lower EOS than young and adult animals; in addition, they showed the highest MON and RBC and the lowest MCV and GPT; MCHC was lower in adult than that in the very young group; MCH was higher in the adult than that in the very young group; Alpha 2‐globulin values were greater in young than those in very young animals; MCH was higher in the late lactation group than that in early lactation; alpha 1 and alpha 2‐globulins showed a significant increase from the early to the late lactation period. Values reported herein could provide a useful clinical guide and represent a basis for further research into monitoring the health status of lactating donkeys. HighlightsObservations of blood chemistry parameters in lactating donkeys (Equus asinus).Very young donkeys had lower eosinophil, highest monocyte and red blood cell than young and adult.Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) was higher in adult compared to very young.Alpha 2‐globluin values were greatest in young donkeys compared to very young MCH was highest late lactation, alpha1, 2 globulins increased from early to late.

Equine Assisted Interventions (EAIs): Methodological Considerations for Stress Assessment in Horses

Equine assisted interventions (EAIs) are recently facing an increasing popularity, and are characterized by a wide diversity of practices. However, information on the welfare of animals involved in this kind of activity is often lacking. Horses are highly susceptible to work stressors related to physical constraints and/or to the need to control emotions while interacting with humans. Considerations of the emotional state of horses involved in EAIs have multiple valences: for the safety of humans and animals involved, for the quality and efficacy of interventions, as well as for ethical reasons. The aim of this unsystematic narrative review is to summarize the different approaches used for the evaluation of horses’ stress responses, investigate their application in the context of EAIs, and discuss some methodological considerations for researchers and practitioners involved in EAI. The sources of information are mostly based on electronic databases (i.e., Medline, Scopus and Google scholar), as well as on hand searches of the references of retrieved literature, and discussions with experts in the field. At present, a few studies have investigated horses’ stress responses during EAIs, and further studies are recommended, with the final aim to derive a reliable multidimensional method for assessing a horse’s reaction during therapeutic programs, ultimately helping professionals to better develop interventions by taking into consideration the animal’s perspective.

Proof of Concept on Energy Expenditure Assessment Using Heart Rate Monitoring and Inertial Platforms in Show-jumping and Riding School Horses

Abstract Currently, the most accurate and noninvasive method used to assess energy expenditure (EE) in sport horses is based on heart rate (HR) monitoring. However, EE assessment using inertial platforms has been lately discussed in human sports medicine. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether inertial platforms would be useful tools to assess EE in horses. Six show‐jumping and riding school horses (Thoroughbred and warmblood) were equipped with a HR monitoring system and a wireless inertial platform. Acceleration, HR, and speed were measured during the exercise protocol that included walk, trot, canter, and a sequence of four jumps. Stride maximum and minimum acceleration, and acceleration amplitude and root mean squares (RMSs) were determined. Energy expenditure and oxygen uptake (VO2) were calculated using HR and speed, respectively. Bivariate correlations (nonparametric Spearmans &rgr; correlation) between EE, VO2, and acceleration variables were tested. Spearmans &rgr; correlation was positive between both EE and VO2, and maximum acceleration, acceleration amplitude, and RMS and negative for minimum acceleration. Acceleration variables of vertical and lateral movement were generally better correlated with EE and VO2 (P < .001) than those of forward movement (P < .01). The results of this innovative approach reveal that the determination of EE in horses could be assessed using inertial platforms. Moreover, vertical and lateral movements appear to influence more EE than forward movement. Graphical abstract Figure. No Caption available. HighlightsInertial platforms are used to assess energy expenditure (EE) in horses.Acceleration variables are proposed to assess EE.Heart rate monitoring is used to determine EE.Correlation between acceleration variables and EE is presented.Vertical and lateral acceleration are important to determine EE.

Effect of farming system on donkey milk composition

BACKGROUND Donkey milk is considered as a functional food for sensitive consumers, such as children who are allergic to cow milk. No information is available regarding the effect of farming systems on the quality of donkey milk. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the farming system and lactation stage on donkey milk with respect to gross composition, as well as fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids (FA). RESULTS Individual milk samples were collected from lactating jennies (n = 53) on the six of the largest farms located in North West Italy. The performance of lactating jennies, herd characteristics and feeding strategies were recorded at each milk sampling. The gross composition of the milk, along with the fat-soluble vitamin content, differed in accordance with the farming system. The lactation stage had limited effects on milk quality. A higher milk fat content corresponded to a higher amount of fresh herbage proportion in the diet, with the highest polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), C18:1c9, C18:3n-3, n-3 FA, retinol and α-tocopherol content and the lowest concentrations of the FA that are less favorable for human health in the milk of animals fed on only forage diets. CONCLUSION Extensive farming of dairy donkeys increased the fat content and fat-soluble vitamin concentration of milk and also altered the FA composition to a more favorable profile for human nutrition.