EVALUATION OF BOVINE TEAT CONDITION IN COMMERCIAL DAIRY HERDS: 2. INFECTIOUS FACTORS AND INFECTIONS
Table 1 Teat conditions observable according to the cause of the problem. Machine induced Environmental Infectious Discoloration Chapping Pseudocowpox Oedema Mud sores Herpes mammillitis Congestion Suckling damage Cowpox Wedging Fly bites Papilloma Ringing Other abrasions and cuts Foot and Mouth Disease Hemorrhaging petechia Weather damage Vesicular Stomatitis Hemorrhaging larger Allergic reactions Ringworm [Hyperkeratosis] Photosensitization Staphylococcus aureus Chemical damage Streptococcus dysgalactiae Arcanobacterium pyogenes Fusiformis necrophorum
Latest Thoughts on Methods for Assessing Teat Condition
The Teat Club International (TCI) is an excellent example of an interdisciplinary and international cooperative effort and illustrates the synergies that such collaboration can produce. The group of experts cited in the references to this paper (lead by Graeme Mein, then Eric Hillerton and now Ian Ohnstad) began a dialogue intended to develop a commonly accepted methodology for assessing teat condition. This effort has facilitated scientific progress by allowing these common methods to be used by researchers and field investigators around the world so that results could be pooled, compared, and communicated using a common language.
Clinical chemical values and variations in Rasa Aragonesa ewes and lambs
Reference values of biochemical parameters in serum of Rasa Aragonesa ewes and their physiological variations were determined. Total proteins were 53.0–80.0 g/l, glucose 2.17–5.13 mmol/l, cholesterol 0.83–2.31 mmol/l, total bilirubin 1.85–6.49 μmol/l, urea 3.15–10.39 mmol/l, GGT 36–93 U/l (37°C), ALAT 11–33 U/l (37°C) and ASAT 71–209 U/l (37°C). Ewes were divided into three groups: A, 1- and 2-year-old ewes; B, ewes 3 and 4 years old; C, older ewes. Age had significant influence (P<0.05) on ASAT only during pregnancy, with higher levels for younger ewes. Blood parameters in lambs were determined at 5–10 d of life (nursing), 25 to 30 d of life receiving their mother's milk and 80–90 g of feed; and 45 to 50 d of life, weaned, receiving only solid feed. Serum urea and ALAT tended to increase with age, whereas total protein, globulins, cholesterol and GGT decreased with age. These values are of practical importance in the diagnosis of diseases and metabolic disorders in Rasa Aragonesa ewes and lambs under field conditions.