Exotic pet medicine is rapidly evolving, with reptiles becoming increasingly popular pet animals. Yet, there are only a few literature reports on veterinary perception of reptiles kept as pets. The ...aim of the study was to assess opinions and knowledge of the Croatian veterinarians-to-be about pet reptiles and their welfare. The questionnaire survey was conducted in the academic year 2019–2020 and included students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate study at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb. First-year students were surveyed twice, before and after having attended the compulsory course on animal welfare. Questionnaire statements were 5-point Likert scale questions, requiring the students to express their opinions about turtles, lizards and snakes as pets, issues related to their welfare, risks they pose to the health and safety of humans, other animals and the environment, and their self-reported knowledge about pet reptiles. Although expressing higher opinions after having attended the course on animal welfare, first-year student responses remained neutral to most of the statements. Such a trend continued until the end of the study. Student responses revealed that they were uncertain about their knowledge of reptiles as pets, considering different educational areas observed. Study results emphasised the need of alterations in veterinary curriculum and additional student education in reptile medicine. The results obtained have broad implications involving not only the welfare of pet reptiles in clinical practice and elsewhere but also the health and safety of humans and other animals, as well as environmental protection.
This study aimed to investigate dust and bacterial air contamination in a broiler house during different seasons. The study was carried out in commercial housing conditions during five weeks of the ...rearing cycle in summer and winter. The total dust concentration ranged from 1.90 to 4.50 mg/m3 in summer and from 2.80 to 5.10 mg/m3 in winter. The total bacterial count ranged from 2.85 × 104 to 1.03 × 105 CFU/m3 in summer and from 2.12 × 104 to 2.28 × 105 CFU/m3 in winter. The study results showed the dust concentration to be increased in winter as compared to summer, yielding a significant correlation (r = 0.602, p < 0.05) with a significantly higher airborne bacterial count in winter (p < 0.001). Furthermore, dust concentration showed significant correlations (p < 0.05) with air temperature (r = −0.418), relative humidity (r = 0.673), and broiler activity (r = 0.709), while bacterial count yielded significant correlations (p < 0.05) with air temperature (r = −0.756), relative humidity (r = 0.831), and airflow rate (r = 0.511). The results obtained in the study can prove useful in the field. Seasonal variability in dust and bacterial air contamination should be considered in the development of guidelines or standards of air quality in broiler housing and evaluation of the effectiveness of remedial strategies.
Anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) from wireless technologies has increased dramatically. The boar semen used for artificial insemination is essential in sustaining the ...pig industry, and additionally it is also exposed to the effects of the RF-EMR of wireless technologies. Furthermore, there are no data on the effects of RF-EMR on semen quality, and this is the first analysis of sperm's morphometric parameters for assessing the effect of RF-EMR on the spermatozoa subpopulations of boars. This study investigated the effect of RF-EMR on in vitro exposed breeding boar semen spermatozoa motility and the proportions of spermatozoa subpopulations according to their morphometric head and tail parameters. The semen samples of 12 boars were divided into control and experimental groups. The samples in the experimental group were exposed in a gigahertz transverse electromagnetic chamber at a frequency of 2500 MHz (the frequency band used in 5G technology) and an electric field strength of 10 Vm
for two hours. After exposure, the spermatozoa motility was evaluated for both groups. A morphometric analysis of the semen smears was performed using SFORM software (Version 1.0; VAMS, Zagreb, Croatia). The progressive spermatozoa motility was significantly reduced in the experimental group (74.7% vs. 85.7%). PC analysis and cluster analysis revealed two spermatozoa subpopulations: S1, spermatozoa with a more regular head shape and a smaller midpiece outline, and S2, spermatozoa with a more elongated head shape and a larger midpiece outline. The experimental semen samples had a greater proportion of the S1 spermatozoa subpopulation (68.2% vs. 64.4%). The effect of RF-EMR at 2500 MHz on the in vitro exposed boar semen resulted in decreased progressive spermatozoa motility and a lower proportion of the spermatozoa subpopulation with a higher fertilizing potential.
This study aimed to compare fungal contamination of poultry litter between warm and cold seasons. It was carried out in commercial production conditions over two five-week fattening periods: one in ...the summer (July-August) and one in the winter (December-January). Broilers were reared on a litter composed of chopped straw and sawdust. Litter fungal concentration and composition were investigated weekly, along with litter temperature, moisture, and pH. Litter concentration of total fungi increased over both fattening periods, with no differences in median concentrations between them. Season also had no effect on yeast,
section
, and
,
, and
spp. concentrations, while the
section
and
spp. combined showed higher concentrations in the summer, and
and
spp. in the winter. Total fungal concentration highly correlated with litter temperature, moisture, and pH, regardless of the season. Our findings can be useful in the assessment and control of potential harmful effect of fungi on the health of poultry and poultry farm workers.
In order to detect thermotolerant
spp., 241 samples of fresh chicken meat, at retail in Croatia, were analysed according to a standard method, followed by biochemical test and molecular polymerase ...chain reaction/restriction enzyme analysis for exact species determination.
spp. prevalence was 73.86%.
and
were isolated from 53.53 and 15.35% of the samples, respectively. In 4.98% of isolates thermotolerant
spp. were not determined. The multilocus sequence typing method was used to evaluate genetic diversity of eight
and four
isolates. To our knowledge, these results of genotyping provided the first data on the presence of sequence types (STs) and clonal complexes (CCs) of
and
.
isolates in Croatia. By applying the multilocus sequence typing, a new allele of
gene locus was discovered and marked
508. The
.
ST 6182 and
.
ST 6183 genotypes were described for the first time, and all other identified genotypes were clustered in the previously described sequence types and clonal complexes. These findings provide useful information on the prevalence and epidemiology of
and
in Croatia.
The effects of environmental enrichment were assessed at different stocking densities on fattening cattle welfare. The study included four groups of heifers observed during four-month final ...commercial fattening. The heifers were housed in non-enriched and enriched environments at low (n = 14; 4.5 m2/animal) and high (n = 19; 3.3 m2/animal) stocking density. Environmental enrichment consisted of a grooming brush and salt blocks. Heifer welfare was assessed using selected indicators from the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle. The study results showed that the heifers housed at high stocking density used environmental enrichment materials significantly more frequently as compared with heifers housed at low stocking density (P<0.05), whereas there was no difference in their use of particular enrichment materials. The effect of environmental enrichment on heifer welfare was mainly manifested in a reduction in the expression of some forms of aggressive behaviour; therefore, this finding should encourage the use of enrichment materials such as those presented in this study which are commercially available, relatively inexpensive and simple to use.
This survey was the first one investigating opinions of veterinary students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, with special reference to dogs and cats as the most popular ...companion animals in the European Union. The study included students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate veterinary medicine study programme in Croatia. First-year students were surveyed twice, before and after having attended the course on animal welfare. Student opinions were assessed on the basis of their mean responses to five-point Likert scale questions and frequency of responses to Yes/No/I do not know questions and ratio scale questions. Study results revealed students to have strongly positive opinions towards companion animals and their welfare. The majority of student statements did not differ significantly between the first and sixth study years or before and after having attended the animal welfare course in the first study year, mostly yielding a straight, non-fluctuating line. Students were not sure whether welfare of companion dogs and cats was compromised. Study results pointed to reliable and reasonable opinions of veterinary medicine students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, as well as to the welfare issues these species may be facing nowadays.
Fungi are present in abundance in poultry housing. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of season and microclimate parameters in poultry housing on fungal flora in the air and broiler ...trachea in commercial fattening conditions. The study was conducted in summer and winter. Study results indicated seasonal impact and association between fungal flora composition in housing air and broiler trachea. However, the total fungal count in housing air was significantly higher in summer and in broiler trachea in winter, both significantly correlated with indoor relative humidity and ammonia concentration. There was no significant correlation between outdoor and indoor air temperature, relative humidity and airflow rate, respectively. Study results suggested that environmental determination of fungi should be accompanied by their determination in broilers. In addition, seasonal impact on fungal contamination should be associated with microclimate conditions in the poultry house rather than the season itself. The fungi detected and the results obtained have implications not only for broiler health but also for the health of humans working in such environments.
In the present study, postural behaviour was compared between gilts kept in service unit with different types of flooring during all seasons. The study included four 28-day production cycles and 10 ...gilts per cycle, equally divided into a control and an experimental group. Control gilts were housed in gestation stalls with slatted concrete floor, whereas in the experimental group the floor was covered with an adjusted rubber mat. Postural behaviour of gilts was observed 4 times per cycle for 4 hours. Study results showed that during cooler seasons, gilts in concrete stalls spent more time standing and lying sternally, whereas gilts in matted stalls were mostly lying, predominantly laterally (P<0.001 all). There were no significant between group differences according to the time the gilts spent sitting or the frequency of changing posture in any season observed. Nevertheless, experimental animals spent significantly less time changing standing to both lying positions during all seasons (P<0.01 all). In conclusion, rubber mats may improve lying comfort in gilts; however, when using rubber mats, the house thermal conditions should be taken in consideration.
PDF
