15. Ruminant biology and model

Bos taurus vs Bos indicus

Taurus

-Dairy: Holstein, Brown Swiss, Jersey, Ayrshire, Guernsey

-Beef: Agnus, Hereford, Simmental

Indicus

-Zebu

Meat vs Wool sheep - Ovis aries

-Meat: Dorset, Columbia, Suffolk, Hampshire, Southdown, Border Cheviot

-Wool: Merion, Rambouillet, Lincoln, Romney

Meat vs Fiber vs Dairy goats - Capra hircus

-Dairy: Alpine, Nubian, La Mancha, Saaneen

-Fiber: Angora, Cashmere

-Meat: Boer, Pygmy, Kiko

What are diseases to be aware of in regards to herd health of sheep?

• Testing for Q Fever (Coxiella burnetii)

• Contagious ecthyma

• Caseous lymphadenitis (Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis)

• Johne’s Disease (Mycobacterium paratuberculosis)

• Ovine progressive pneumonia

• Internal and external parasitism

What are diseases to be aware of in regards to herd health in goats?

• Q Fever (Coxiella burnetii)

• Caprine arthritis and encephalomyelitis (CAE)

• Brucellosis

• Tuberculosis

• Johne’s Disease (Mycobacteria paratuberculosis)

• Goats may also be tested for caseous lymphadenitis, contagious ecthyma, or mycoplasma as needed.

What vaccines should be given to goats and sheep?

-tetanus toxoid and other clostridial dz

-maybe coccidiostats to sheep

What diseases are of importance to herd health in cattle?

• Johne’s disease

• Brucellosis

• Tuberculosis

• persistent infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV)

• respiratory diseases

• internal and external parasitism

• foot conditions such as hairy heel warts or foot rot.

What vaccines do cows need?

-BVDV

-infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBR)

-bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV)

-Bovine parainfluenza-3 (PI-3)

-Leptospira spp

Why is proper venitilation important for ruminants when in confinement?

-ammonia buildup - respiratory problems

-cold weather - condenses water vapor - ventilation should be increased at expense of lower temps

What species tolerates cold weather well? Which ones aren’t

-adult goats and cattle - if adequate dust free bedding available, sheep

-recently shorn adults, newborn lambs - susceptible to hypothermia, hyperthermia, and sunburn

What fencing should be avoided in goats?

chain linked - stand on hind legs against fencing or walls

Recommended lux per the Ag guide for sheep and goats?

220 lux

Do you remember the parts of the stomach of a ruminant?

-forestomach - rumen, reticulum, and omasum

-true stomach - abomasum

What does the mature rumen do? Bacteria help it form what?

-anaerobic fermentation

-volatile fatty acids (acetic, propionic, and butyric)

Where are VFAs absorbed?

large intestine

What do Rumen microorganisms synthesize other than VFAs? (vitamin ___ , ____; _____)

vitamins (B, K) and protein

What is the main source of energy in cattle? (not glucose)

volatile fatty acids (VFA) - Acetic, Propionic, Butyric

Glucose is formed from what volatile fatty acid?

propionic

______ in neonates is crucial to success of passive transfer of immunity. The is functional for the first ____ after birth.

-intestinal immunoglobulin absorption

-36h

What’s in colostrum?

-maternal antibodies (IgG1)

-leukocytes

-cytokines

How is immunoglobulin colostrum concentration measured?

-estimated by specific gravity on Brix refractometer

-commercial test kits

What are the major ovine and bovine histocompatibility classes?

-ovine - OVAR (Ovis aries) Class I, II, and III

-bovine - BoLA (Bovine lymphocyte system)

Arrange sheep, cow, goat in the order of largest to the smallest RBC

Erythrocytes are smaller and more fragile than other mammals

(cow> sheep>goats are the smallest)

Rouleaux formation - None in cattle; limited in sheep and goats

Primary WBC in ruminants?

-lymphocytes

Adult ruminants can go _____ before significant dehydration. However on rehydration you may see ___ and ___ due to fragile erythrocytes.

-days

-hemolysis and hemoglobinuria

urine of ruminants is often acidic or alkaline?

alkaline

Number of blood groups in sheep and goats

Sheep – 7 blood groups (A, B, C, D, M, R, X), Goats – 5 (B, C, M, R-O, X)

What is special about goat’s RBCs in comparison to sheep or cattle?

lack central pallor

Why can’t BUN be used as an indicator of renal function in ruminants?

matbolism of urea nitrogen by rumen microflora

Why do ruminants hematocrits tend to be overestimated?

must centrifuge blood samples for longer to accurately pack the cells bc RBCs are smaller

__and ____ are not liver specific in ruminants. ___ cannot be used for hepatic disease evaluation in goats.

-AST & LDH

-ALT

If ___ and ___ are high this indicates biliary stasis in ruminants. If ___ is high this indicates hepatic damage.

-GGT and ALP

-GGT

____ pastures containing ___ can induce bloat, diarrhea, grass tetany, or nitrate poisoning in ruminants

lush spring pastures w/ alfalfa

What ruminants are browsers and which ones are grazers? Why is this important?

-goats

-sheep and cattle

-browers are choosers so they eat the more nutritious part of the plant and often don’t need grain supplementation

Horse feed can't be used on sheep because ______? Goats can be fed ____ and ___ feed?

-Cu toxicity

-sheep and horse

What component in the diet can predispose Urinary calculi in male ruminants?

-high phosphorus or magnesium

-Low Ca:P ratio

-grasses are high in silicates and oxalates

What is flushing? How much supplemental grain should be fed to goats/sheep during last 6wk of gestation?

-feed 200-400g concentrate per head for several weeks before and after initiation of breeding

-ad lib if they are thin

What dictates the quality of the colostrum?

vaccine program & dam’s condition/nutrition

All newborn ruminant should received colostrum within ____ hr of being born? How much do calves specifically need? What if colostrum is poor quality?

-W/ in 1st 36 hrs (pg. 627)

-100g of IgG in first 24hrs (pg. 634)

-commercial colostrum replacer, frozen/banked colostrum

When do you start offering hay to newborns?

1st week of life

Sheep and goats are seasonally polyestrous with estrus being brought about by ___________ day length. This means they breed during the ___ and kid in the ___.

-decreasing/short day breeders

-fall/winter

-spring

Sheep and goats birth in the ____. Makes it difficult to locate sources in the ____. For cattle ___ are usually available year round while ____ may be seasonal

-spring

-fall/winter

-dairy

-beef

Ewes can be artificially stimulated to progress from anestrus to estrus by what?

Maintaining them in 8hrL:16hrD for 8-10 weeks

Older ewes tend to have ____. What two breeds are especially prolific? Cows can have twins, but if it’s a male and female the female should be examined for what?

-multiple lambs

-Finn and dorset

-free martinism

How long is the gestation period of sheep?

Gestation: 147-150 days

How long is the gestation period of goat?

Gestation: 145-155 days

How long is the gestation period of cow?

Gestation 270-292 days

What is the placentation of ruminants

Epitheliochorial cotyledonary placentation

How to tell estrus in Ewes?

-enlargement of vulva w/ slight more mucus, isolate from flock, anxious 

-Take sterile ram to herd – see if they stand

-Take mature ram - Attach marking harness to identify serviced ewes

How to tell estrus in goats?

-uneasiness, tail switching, flagging, red/swollen vulva, clear vagina discharge

-Buck can induce goat to show sign of heat – ovulate in 7-10 day post buck exposure 

-Should mate once showing signs of estrus 

-Dairy goats – 6 to 8 week dry period to involute udder

How to tell estrus in cows?

-standing for other females

-receptive to bull, teaser bulls marking, blood progesterone 

-Pregnancy – doesn’t return to heat, US by 28-32d, fetal sex by d 55, rectal palpation 30-40d post conception, protein B detection

Size of birthing area for doe/ewe vs cow

1.5m2 vs 9m2

Signs of impending parturition in cattle, sheep, and goats.

-Ewes - isolate from flock, restless, stamp, blat, look at abdomen

-Doe - swollen udder and vulva, pelvic ligaments of tail relax, drop in temp 24hr before, restless, vocalize, pawing, moist tail from mucous discharge

How can fetal malpresentation be corrected?

vaginouterine manipulation

Large dairy goat facilities will control onset of parturition (to assist with birthing) by giving what drug? When is the drug given? When should you expect kidding?

-PGF2a

-day 144

-in 28 to 57hr

Goats can have false pregnancy. What happens when this goat gives birth? How can it be treated?

-hydrometra - large volumes of cloudy fluid

-PGF2a

What do you need to do once the neonates are born?

-usually nothing

-can dry off and dip navel in iodine

-ear tag and ear notch

How do you prevent the spread of infectious dz like caprine arthritis encephalitis or Johne’s after a neonate is born if its suspected in the mom?

remove from dam immediately

hand feed treated colostrum

What is the weaning age in goat, sheep and cow?

Sheep - 4-8 weeks (6-8 more common)

Goats - 6-10 weeks or 18-25 lbs

Cattle

-4-7 weeks (dairy)

-7 months (beef)

-Passive immunity gradually ↓ until 6 mo

What is creep feeding?

specific way food is offered so young animals can eat the food, but the adults cannot

What are the methods for disbudding or dehorning in sheep/goat and cattle? age recommendation?

-Goats - disbudding <1mo (but recommended first few days of life); cautery is method of choice

-Sheep - dehorning is not a recommended management practice in sheep; Trim instead

-Cattle - dehorn when horn buds appear in first 3-6wk (local anesthetic use encouraged)

--can use NSAIDs, sedation, and local anesthesia

Goat kids especially need great care when using electrice or butane dehorners. Why?

-thin calvarium to frontal sinus

-can heat damage the cebreal cortex

What are the methods for Tail-docking in sheep/goat and cattle? age recommendation?

-Sheep/goats - Rubber rings, hot-iron cautery, surgical removal do before 2 wks old

-cattle - not endorsed

What are the methods for castration in sheep/goat vs cattle? age recommendation?

-Sheep/goat - Rubber rings, crushing spermatic cord w/emasculator (i.e. Burdizzo), surgical BETWEEN 24hrs to 7 days

-Cattle - between 2-9wk of age, MUST be before 3mo of age

-can use NSAIDs, sedation, and local anesthesia

Who can decide whether or not performing Tail docking, castration, disbudding in older animals? Or any age animals period?

IACUC decision

When should fetal membranes be passed? Can they eat them?

-within 12hr of parturition

-no can cause rumen obstruction

What is free martin in cow?

-Genetic female born as a twin to a male;

-mixing of blood forming cells and germ cells resulting in XX/XY chimeras

-this occurs in 85-90% of phenotypic bovine females born with a male twin

-female will often have an abnormal vulva and clitoris and the vagina will be a blind end due to lack of a cervix

-singleton freemartins can be born if male fetus is lost after 30d gestation

What is the relationship between between polled and intersex goats? What happens in a polled intersex goat?

-Chromosome 1 - affects hornbud development and ovary development

-female goat w/ male characterstics - not fertile, male odor & aggresive, increased anogenital distance, muscular neck, etc.

Goats/sheep can be synchronized by giving a ___ injection during the ____ phase of the estrus cycle. Thus lyses the ____ and they will show estrus in ___ post injection.

-PGF2a injection

-luteal phase

-corpus luteum

-36-60h

Cattle estrus can be induced by what? Cattle estrus can be synchronized by what? Estrus can be suppressed by feeding what?

-PGF2a injection or Progesterone vaginal suppository (estrus once removed)

-OvSynch which is scheduled delivary of PGF2a and GnRH

-melengestrol acetate (synthetic progesterone)

Sheep specifically can have their estrus synchronized by being exposed to ____ prior to the normal fall mating period. It stimulates them to cycle and synchronize their cycles. Other general ways estrus can be synchronized

-vasectomized ram

-progesterones in feed, parenteral injection, subcuticular implants, vaginal pessaries (vaginla suppository like)

How is embryo transfer done in sheep vs cattle?

-both - superovulated w/ gonadotropins and inseminate

-sheep - collect via surgical approach

-cows - Guelph system for transcervical AS - transcervical flush and get 75% of embryos this way, recipients synched to donor cycle. 70% will getp regnant this way

-can also freeze for later use

Signs of pain in ruminant?

Excessive/strained vocalization, bruxism, decreased time spent eating/cud chewing, restlessness, prolonged recumbency w/ outstretched neck and head, hunched back when standing

What is the ruminant flight zone?

minimum zone of comfort before they move

If you want a ruminant to move forward in a chute, what should you do?

walk backwards to move them forward

What is FARAD? Who runs it?

-Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database

-USDA - provides resources to prevent drug and pesticcide residues from entering food chain

What is AMDUCA? When was it passed?

-Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act

-1994

What does AMDUCA do?

allows extra label drug use by veterinarians within context of valid veterinarian-client relationship

What 6 things must occur in order for extra label drug use to be covered under AMDUCA?

-no approved new animal drug that is labeled for the intended use that contains the same active ingredient in required dosage form and concentration

-Veterinarian makes the diagnoses and evaluation of condition

-Veterinarian has established an extended withdrawal period

-identity of treated animal is assured and maintained

-ensure no illegal drug residues occur in any food producing naimals subjected to extra label treatment

-prescribed or dispensed extra label drugs MUST bear labeling info which is adequate to ensure proper and safe use of product

When is extra label drug use not permitted under AMDUCA?

-when the purpose of the drug is to enhance production

-must only be used if health of animal is threatened or animal is suffering or death may occur if not treated

The FDA can prohibit the extra label use of a new animal drug if what?

-no sufficient method exists for detection of residues and/or drug poses risk to human health

Group 1 Drugs can NOT be used extra label at all

-Chloramphenical

-Clenbuterol

-Diethylstilbestrol (DES)

-Fluoroquinolone class abx 

-Glycopeptides (including vancomycin)

-Medicated feeds 

-Nitroimidazoles (Dimetridazole, Ipronidazole, metronidazole)

-Nitrofurans (Furazolidone, Nitrofurazone)

Group II drugs have restricted extra label use

-Adamantane & neuroaminidase inhibitor

-Cephalosporins (except Cephapirin)

-Gentian violet

-phenylbutazone

-Sulfanamide abx

When can adamantane and neurominidase inhibitors NOT be used (according to AMDUCA/FARAD)?

poultry (its used in other countries to treat/prevent influenza A in chickens and turkeys)

Cephalosporins (except cephapirin) cannot be used in what animals?

-major food animals (cattle, pigs, chickens, turkeys)

-prohibited when not used at approved dosage levels, treatment duration, frequency, route of admin, different species or production class, to prevent disease

Gentian violet cannot be used when?

prohibited in all food/feed of all food producing animals

What is an indexed drug? When can it NOT be used?

-Specific etra label drug use (ELDU) of these drugs are prohibited in ALL food producing animals

-EXCEPT for minor use animal species that are not used as food for humans or other animals

What drugs are indexed drugs?

• Thiafentanil oxalate (Thianil)

• sGnRHA+domperidone (OVAPRIM)

• Metomidate hydrochloride (Aquacalm)

• Naltrexone hydrochloride (Trxonil)

• Buprenorphine ER

• Benzalkonium chloride & polyhexanide

• Benzalkonium chloride, polyhexanide and cypermethrin

• Poly (acetyl arginyl) glucosamine

• Deslorelin acetate

• Ethiqa XR

• Hemoglobin crosfumaril 

• Alfaxalone 

• Meloxicam ER

Any use of phenylbutazone is prohibited in what animals?

female dairy cattle over 20mo of age

Use of all sulfanamide class antibiotics is prohibited in what animals? What are three drug exceptions?

-lactating dairy cattle

-sulfadimethoxine, sulfabromomethazine, and sulfaethoxypyridazine

Group III drugs are restricted and cannot be used in Grade “A” dairy operations

-non medical grade DMSO

-dipyrone and colloidal silver

Congenital hyperbilirubinemia/hepatic organic anion EXCRETORY defect is called ____. If it’s an UPTAKE defect then it’s called _____.

-Dubin Johnson syndrome

-Gilbert’s syndrome

In Dubin Johnson syndrome (excretory defect) what happens? What about Gilbert’s syndrome (uptake defect)?

-hepatocytes can’t secrete conjugated bilirubin into bile (Photophobic, photodermatitis)

-missing enzyme that turns unconjugated bilirubin into conjugated (water soluble) bilirubin (may have jaundice)

What breed is normally affected in Dubin Johnson syndrome (excretory defect) vs Gilbert’s syndrome (uptake defect)?

-Corridale

-Southdown

Moniker for dubin johnson syndrome?

CDC - conjugated, dubin, corridale

Moniker for Gilbert’s syndrome?

GUS - Gilbert, unconjugated, southdown

What rodent strain can be used to study Dubin-Johnson Syndrome?

Eisai Hyperbilirubinemia rat (EHBR)

Which sheep breed is used to study Gamma-glutamyl carboxylase deficiency? What happens?

-Rambouillets

-Vitamin K deficiency

-lambs may bleed until death

-causes a the RBCs to be fragile when treated with certain drugs such as antimalarials

What are the 2 lysosomal storage diseases of sheep?

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency & GM1 gangliosidosis

Which sheep breed is used to study Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency? Hereditary pattern? CS?

-Dorsett

-X linked recessive

-non immume mediated hemolytic anemia - hemolysis with particular stressors (food, drugs, infections)