H. Karatzias

The role of natural and synthetic zeolites as feed additives on the prevention and/or the treatment of certain farm animal diseases: A review

Abstract The present review comments on the role of the use of zeolites as feed additives on the prevention and/or the treatment of certain farm animal diseases. Both natural and synthetic zeolites have been used in animal nutrition mainly to improve performance traits and, based on their fundamental physicochemical properties, they were also tested and found to be efficacious in the prevention of ammonia and heavy metal toxicities, poisonings as well as radioactive elements uptake and metabolic skeletal defects. During the last decade, their utilization as mycotoxin-binding adsorbents has been a topic of considerable interest and many published research data indicate their potential efficacy against different types of mycotoxins either as a primary material or after specific modifications related to their surface properties. Ingested zeolites are involved in many biochemical processes through ion exchange, adsorption and catalysis. Recent findings support their role in the prevention of certain metabolic diseases in dairy cows, as well as their shifting effect on nitrogen excretion from urine to faeces in monogastric animals, which results in lower aerial ammonia concentration in the confinement facilities. Moreover, new evidence provide insights into potential mechanisms involved in zeolites supporting effect on animals suffered from gastrointestinal disturbances, including intestinal parasite infections. All the proposed mechanisms of zeolites’ effects are summarized in the present review and possible focus topics for further research in selected areas are suggested.

Effect of selenium and vitamin E on antibody production by dairy cows vaccinated against Escherichia coli

Sixty clinically healthy Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of four groups according to their age and parity and vaccinated in late pregnancy (day 190) with a multivalent vaccine against Escherichia coli. The 15 cows in the first group (SeE) were injeded intramuscularly with a solution of sodium selenite (0.1 mg Se/kg bodyweight) and vitamin E (α-tocopherol acetate, 8 U/kg bodyweight), the cows in the second group (Se) received only selenium and the cows in the third group (E) received only vitamin E at the same doses and by the same route of administration; the cows in the fourth group were used as controls. The vaccination and the injections of selenium and vitamin E were repeated 42 days later. The concentration of selenium in whole blood and of vitamin E in serum was determined by fluorometric methods. Specific antibody titres against E coli were determined in serum samples by ELISA. The results showed that the injection of selenium either alone or in combination with vitamin E significantly improved the production of specific antibodies against E coli, and that the production of specific antibodies was greater after the administration of selenium alone.

Effects of long-term feeding dairy cows on a diet supplemented with clinoptilolite on certain serum trace elements

The objective of the experiment was to investigate the effect of clinoptilolite (a natural zeolite) supplementation in the ration of dairy cows on serum copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) concentrations. Fifty-two clinically healthy Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of three groups according to their age and parity. The first group (group A) comprised 17 cows fed a ration supplemented with 1.25% clinoptilolite, the second group (group B) comprised also 17 cows was given a ration with 2.5% clinoptilolite, and the third group (group C, the control), comprised 18 cows fed the basal ration that did not contain any clinoptilolite. The experiment started when the cows entered the fourth week before the expected parturition and lasted until the end of lactation. All cows were fed the above concentrates during the entire experimental period. Blood sample were collected from each animal at the starting day of the experiment, at the day of calving, and at monthly intervals thereafter. All samples were tested for serum Cu, Zn, and Fe concentrations. The results showed that the 1.25 and 2.5% supplementation of clinoptilolite did not have any adverse effects on serum concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Fe.

Selenium concentration in blood and hair of holstein dairy cows

Four-hundred Holstein cows in 40 dairy farms in north Greece were included in this study, and blood (n=400), black hair (n=400), white hair (n=40), and feed (n=40) samples were obtained. Although the feeding regime in these farms was similar, the selenium content of feeds was variable. The Se content of concentrate feeds was 0.104±0.086 mg/kg dry matter (DM), and of silage, it was 0.025±0.018 mg/kg. A significantly positive correlation was found between the Se concentration in black hair and the Se concentration in blood (r2=0.610, p<0.001), the Se concentration in white hair and the Se concentration in blood (r2=0.770, p<0.001), and the Se concentration in white hair and the Se concentration in black hair (r2=0.921, p<0.001). The Se concentration in white hair was significantly smaller than that in black hair (p<0.001).

Comparison of two techniques for diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis in diarrhoeic goat kids and lambs in Cyprus

This study was conducted in the Larnaca area of Cyprus and included 28 goat and 15 sheep flocks suffering from neonatal diarrhoea (>20%). Faecal samples from diarrhoeic animals revealed that 25 of the 28 goat and 12 of the 15 sheep flocks were positive for Cryptosporidium. The ELISA was more accurate in the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis compared to the Ziehl–Neelsen staining technique (P < 0.05). Flock size and the period of kidding/lambing were found to be the main risk factors implicated in the occurrence of neonatal goat kid/lamb cryptosporidiosis.

Macromineral status of dairy cows with concurrent left abomasal displacement and fatty liver

Abstract AIM: To evaluate the macromineral status of field cases of dairy cows surgically treated for left abomasal displacement (LDA), with concurrent fatty liver of different severity, and compare this for animals that died or recovered. METHODS: Sixty-eight Holstein dairy cows with LDA and 110 control cows, from 28 farms, were used in the study. Blood samples and liver biopsies were obtained during standing surgery for correction of LDA, and from control cows. The concentration of macrominerals in serum, and of total lipids (tLPD) and triglycerides (TG) in liver were determined. Liver was examined histologically, and classified for its severity of fatty liver. Cows with LDA were grouped according to severity of fatty liver. Cows in Groups 1 to 3 recovered, whereas those in Group 4 died within 4 weeks of surgery. Group 1=mild (n=4) or moderate (n=6 cows, n=4 heifers) fatty liver, Group 2 = moderate to severe fatty liver (n=13), Group 3=severe fatty liver (n=15 cows, n=5 heifers), Group 4 = severe fatty liver (n=17 cows, n=4 heifers). RESULTS: The concentration of macrominerals in serum was affected by the concurrence of fatty liver and LDA; Ca, K and Mg were significantly (p<0.05) lower in animals that died than those that survived. For cows with severe fatty liver, concentrations of tLD and TG were higher in the animals that died compared with those that recovered (p<0.01). Cows with LDA and severe fatty liver that died were earlier in lactation (median days in milk (DIM) 13 days) compared with the other cows with LDA (median DIM 21–26 days) (p<0.05); they were also significantly older (median 6 years old) than cows in the other groups (median 4 or 5 years old) (p–0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Concentrations of macrominerals in serum were influenced by the concurrence of LDA and fatty liver. Animals with low concentrations of Ca, K and Mg had a guarded prognosis. The concentration of K should always be evaluated in cows with LDA and concurrent fatty liver when providing a prognosis. Most cows with severe fatty liver were detected in the first 4 weeks of lactation, but older animals and those that had more recently calved had a worse prognosis.

Congenital nutritional myodegeneration (white muscle disease) in a red deer (Cervus elaphus) calf

Abstract CASE HISTORY A 5-day-old red deer calf was submitted with tachypnoea and dyspnoea, and was reluctant to move. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Muscular damage was established via elevated creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) activities (5,000 U/L), while concentrations of Se in whole blood were low (24.8 nmol/L). The animal died despite treatment with penicillin-streptomycin and 0.1 mg/kg Se/vitamin E administered by S/C injection. DIAGNOSIS: Necropsy and histological examination of cardiac and skeletal muscle confirmed the presumptive diagnosis of congenital white muscle disease (WMD). Prophylactic administration of a Se/vitamin E commercial preparation (as above) to another calf born in the same herd one month later was associated with good health and apparently normal growth and development. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Congenital WMD due to Se deficiency can be fatal in red deer calves. However, prophylactic administration of Se and vitamin E to neonatal calves may be beneficial for neonatal red deer calves.

Haemolytic disease in sheep attributed to a Babesia lengau-like organism

BABESIOSIS is a haemoparasitosis of domestic and wild animals that can cause severe economic losses in the tropical and subtropical areas (Mohamed and Yagoub 1990, Yeruham and others 1995, Theodoropoulos and others 2006). In addition, this haemoparasitosis is considered important for public health, because some species can infect human beings (Duh and others 2001, Kim and others 2007). In sheep, the disease can present as an acute haemolytic crisis or as chronic wasting (Rashid and others 2010). Babesia ovis , Babesia motasi and Babesia crassa are considered the possible causes of ovine babesiosis (Ferrer and others 1998). In Greece, the most common isolates of Babesia species are B ovis , though only few studies have been conducted in this field (Papadopoulos and others 1996, Theodoropoulos and others 2006). Babesia lengau species nov. has been recently isolated from asymptomatic cheetahs in Africa and has not been proven to cause disease in any animal species or human beings. In the present study, the detection of a B lengau -like organism in sheep with haemolytic disease is described. In two sheep flocks located in a village of Northern Greece and reared under the semi-intensive feeding system, mortality was observed in adult sheep that according to their owners ‘were anorectic and urinated blood’. At the first visit of the veterinarian, five sheep had died from the one flock and three from the other. The postmortem examination conducted by a local veterinarian showed lesions typical of haemolytic crisis with jaundice, gun-metal coloured kidneys and discoloured liver. A liver sample from one dead sheep from each flock was examined for copper concentration; results were within normal limits (250 ppm dm and …

Cerebellar dysfunction in a calf with chronic coenurosis

CEREBELLAR diseases in cattle are usually congenital. Hypoplasia/aplasia, abiotrophy and other hereditary anomalies are the result of hereditary factors or viral infections ([Hewicker-Trautwein and others 1995][1], [Kemp and others 1995][2], [LeClerc and others 1997][3], [Schild and others 2001][4

Prevention of scours in neonatal kids after modification of management and experimental vaccination against Escherichia coli

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate under field conditions, the role that right management and vaccination against Escherichia coli plays in the prevention of neonatal kid diarrhoea. To meet this objective, a goat farm of low management standards suffering from a neonatal diarrhoea problem caused by enteropathogenic strains of E. coli was selected. Three experimental groups of new-born kids with their mothers were formed: (a) the kids in Group I were raised under the management conditions already existing in the farm, and served as negative controls, (b) the kids in Group II were raised under improved conditions, including specially prepared warm and draft-free areas for kidding and nursing, and (c) the kids in Group III were raised under the improved conditions of Group II, but were born from does previously vaccinated for E. coli. The three groups were compared with regard to the incidence and duration of diarrhoea, and the mortality of kids. It was shown that, compared to the control group, neonatal morbidity and mortality were both reduced by a factor of 3 in Group II, and by factors of 9.5 and 12.5, respectively, in Group III (P