Oral and Poster Abstracts

J. Hajurka, I. Valocky
University of Veterianary Medicine, Kosice, Slovakia
During the past fifty years pregnancy rates of lactating dairy cows have
decreased progressively. First ovulation or luteinization of a dominant
follicle can be induced with exogenous GnRH, and PGF 2a will shorten
any luteal phases; thus more ovulations can be introduced before first
insemination. The objective of this study was to determine the effects
of these treatments on subsequent reproductive performance in dairy
cows. After day 10 cows were treated with a synthetic GnRH
analoque (gonadorelinum, 200 µg; i.m.) if a large follicle (> 10mm)
was present on the ovaries, or with synthetic PGF 2a (cloprostenolum
500 µg; i.m.) if a CL was present. The animals were divided into two
groups with normal (n = 81) or gynaecologically abnormal puerperium
(retained placenta and/or uterine inflammation; n = 61). Cows in the
experimental group (EG) tended to have fewer days open (85.5 ± 6.4
days) than the control group (CG; 113.0 ± 15.8 days; P = 0.0524) in a
normal puerperium with a similar number of inseminations per
conception (2.0 ± 0.1 vs. 1.9 ± 0.2; P = 0.1252). Treatment in abnormal
puerperium had no effect on the days open (103.0 ± 8.7 vs. 118.0 ± 15.9
days in EG and CG resp; P = 0.3936) nor on the number of
insemination per conception (2.3 ± 0.2 vs. 2.4 ± 0.3 in EG and CG ; p
= 0.6711). Supported by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak
Republic, project AV 4/0009/07
Key words: dairy cows, reproductive performance
948 High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatment of Fresh Bull Semen
Increases the Proportion of Cells Surviving the Freezingthawing
Procedure in a Hungarian Holstein Friesian Bull
Population
G. Kútvölgyi 1 , A. Horváth 2 , I. Oláh 3 , P. Pálinkás 3 , L. Merész 3 ,
M. Molnár 1 , CS. Pribenszky 1 , O. Szenci 2
1 Cryo-Innovation Ltd., Budapest, Hungary
2 Szent István University Faculty of Veterinary Science, Large Animal
Clinic, Üll[, Hungary
3 Bos-Genetic Ltd., Martonvásár, Hungary
216 Prevalence of Claw Disorders and the Need for Regular
Examination of Claws in Dairy Cows from Smallholder Units
of Peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya
J. Nguhiu-Mwangi 1 , P. Mbithi 1 , J. Wabacha 1 , P. Mbuthia 2
1
University of Nairobi, Department of Clinical Studies, Nairobi,
Kenya, Kenya Coast Republic
2
University of Nairobi, Veterinary Pathology, Nairobi, Kenya, Kenya
Coast Republic
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 32 zero-grazing
smallholder dairy units in the peri-urban regions of Nairobi, Kenya.
The objective of the study was to establish types and prevalence of
claw lesions affecting dairy cows under varied zero-grazing
conditions. The farms were purposively selected and systematic
sampling technique employed to select cows in each farm. A total of
300 cows were selected and examined. They were evaluated for
lameness with standard locomotion scoring system. All hind limb
claws of the 300 cows were visually examined for lesions after
thorough washing and trimming. Trimming was useful as
a diagnostic and corrective procedure of claw disorders. Of the cows
examined, 88% had claw lesions and among these, 69% of them had
subclinical lesions. Prevalence rate of each claw disorder was
calculated separately out of 300. Some cows had more than one claw
disorder and some claws had more than one disorder. Total
prevalence of laminitis was 70.3% with subclinical laminitis at
49.3% and chronic laminitis at 21%. Other claw lesions probably
related to laminitis had prevalence rates as follows: sole bruising
(45%), heel erosion (27.3%), white line separation (18%) and double
or underrun soles (17%). Sole ulcers had low prevalence of 2.7%.
Claw deformities occurred concurrently with chronic laminitis and
Lameness
Previously, we reported that high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)
significantly improves post-thaw survival of frozen IVP bovine
blastocysts, presumably from the induction of shock proteins. We
also have reported increased post-thaw survival of HHP-treated boar
and bull semen. We now report further data on the effect of HHP
treatment on motility of frozen thawed bull semen. HHP treatments
were executed by a computer-controlled pressurizing device. The
semen of 20 of the production bulls of Bos Genetic, Hungary has
been produced with or without (HHP) pre-treatment. After semen
collection the ejaculate was diluted 1:1 with Bioxcell extender at 34
°C. Diluted semen was split individually, one half was filled into
maxistraws (treatment groups) and were closed by plastic balls. The
other half – control group – was further diluted to reach the final
concentration of 8x10 7 /ml. Control semen was filled to 0.25ml
straws at room temperature, and were placed to a cooling chamber at
5 °C for at least 4 hours. After cold acclimatization semen was
frozen using standard program and was placed into LN 2. The
treatment groups were left to cool down to room temperature for 30
min and were placed to the chamber of the pressurizing device. 30
MPa pressure was applied for 90 min, at room temperature. After
treatment semen was further diluted at room temperature to reach
final concentration of 8x10 7 /mL, and was placed to 5 °C for at least
2 hours before being frozen. Straws were thawed in a 38 °C water
bath for 30 s. Progressive motility was assessed by the CASA
system. Experiments were replicated twice or three times for each
bull. Paired t-test was used to analyze data. HHP treatment
significantly increased the post-thaw total and progressive motility
of the bull population (total motility: 54.8% vs. 62.3%; progressive
motility: 42.2% vs. 47.6%; control vs. treated, respectively). At 6 of
the 20 bulls (30%) there was no difference in the motility parameters
between the groups. At 10 bulls (50%) the HHP treatment has
increased the number of motile cells with an additional 5-15 per cent,
while at 4 bulls (20%) the treatment related increase in the motile
cells was between 15 and 25 %. Field trials are being made to
confirm results in vivo.
Trial was supported by Kozma grant OMFB-00504/2007
had prevalence of 30.3%. They included excessively overgrown,
flattened, concave and grooved claws. Splayed and corkscrew claws
had prevalence of 8.7% and 4.7% respectively. Other lesions
involving the claws included infections, trauma, growths and foreign
bodies which together had prevalence of 6.4%. Cows with chronic
laminitis and concurrent severe claw deformities were significantly
associated with higher locomotion scores (Khi 2 = 74.05, P< 0.05)
and were severely lame. In all, 80% of the cows were raised on
varied concrete floors such as over-smooth or pot-holed and some
with loose stones and most of these had slurry that was left on the
floor for between 24 and 72 hours. The other 20% of the cows were
on wet and often muddy earthen floors. In conclusion, the cows in
the smallholder units in the peri-urban Nairobi are raised under
conditions that promote development of laminitic claw disorders and
in which lack of regular trimming promotes claw deformities. It is
therefore pertinent that regular claw check-up and trimming be
practiced in these farms to promote claw health and animal welfare.
217 The use of Infrared Thermography (IRT) in Detecting
Lameness in Dairy Cows
C. Gelfert 1 , A. Onmaz 2 , G. Atalan 3 , V. Günes 2 , A. Düzler 4 ,
I. Nur 4 , M. Kibar 3
1
University of Veterinary Medicine, Clinic for Ruminants, Vienna,
Austria
2
Erciyes Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi, Iç Hastaliklari Anabilim
Dali, Kayseri, Turkey
3
Erciyes Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi, Department of Surgery,
Kayseri, Turkey
4
Erciyes Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi, Department of Anatomy,
Kayseri, Uganda
Lameness 217