Young Calves (young + calf)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Effect of Age and Abomasal Puncture on Peritoneal Fluid, Hematology, and Serum Biochemical Analyses in Young Calves

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2005
Luiz Claudio N. Mendes
The goals of this study were to evaluate techniques for collection of peritoneal fluid from calves, establish reference ranges for fibrinogen in peritoneal fluid during the 1st month of life, and determine if abomasal puncture would alter peritoneal fluid or hematologic variables. Twenty-two healthy Holstein calves underwent 3 peritoneal fluid collections on day 1, day 15, and day 30 of age. Fibrinogen concentration in peritoneal fluid was 0.20 g/dL and 0.10 g/dL (P < .05) for day 1 and day 30, respectively, and 0.10 at day 15 (P > .05) for calves without abomasal puncture. Plasma fibrinogen concentration was 0.60 g/dL and 0.70 g/dL (P < .05) for days 15 and 30, respectively, in calves without abomasal puncture. There were no significant differences (P, .05) in peritoneal fluid and peripheral blood total protein and fibrinogen concentrations, specific gravity, total and differential cell count, or erythrocyte counts between calves with or without abomasal puncture. We concluded that the reference ranges established for fibrinogen and total protein concentration are important for accurate evaluation of peritoneal fluid in calves for further comparison with similar-aged animals with gastrointestinal-tract or abdominal-cavity disease. Additionally, accidental abomasal puncture does not alter values of fibrinogen, total protein, and nucleated cell count in peritoneal fluid and does not cause apparent clinical abnormalities. [source]


In vitro model of full-thickness cartilage defect healing

JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 9 2007
Hok Kei Tam
Abstract Integration of the host,graft interface is implicated as one of the significant reasons for lack of complete healing in osteochondral grafting procedures for the treatment of cartilage lesions. We developed an in vitro model of cartilage healing in an osteochondral setting to study the effect of developmental age and collagenase treatment. Circular full-thickness vertical surgical incisions were made in the cartilaginous portion of cylindrical bovine osteochondral specimens. Two age groups were selected: Young (1,2 months old) and Older (6,8 months old). Cartilage integration across the surgical incisions was assessed by histologic analysis and by mechanical push-out testing at 2 and 4 weeks in culture. Histologic integration as well as peak push-out shear stress was significantly higher in older calf cartilage than in the young calf. Collagenase pretreatment in the older calf samples increased push-out strength at 4 weeks. Histologic integration correlated well with the mechanical push-out strength. Developmental age and time after injury affected the response to collagenase pretreatment. This osteochondral cartilage integration model can be useful to study factors that modulate healing of surgical replacement procedures in vitro, which may aid the development of newer approaches to promote the healing of cartilage defects. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 25:1136,1144, 2007 [source]


Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) stature in the Réserve de Faune du Petit Loango, Gabon

JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 4 2003
Bethan J. Morgan
Abstract The stature of forest elephants Loxodonta africana cyclotis was determined at the Petit Loango Reserve over 14 months from January to December 1998 and May to June 1999 using three measures: shoulder height, hind footprint length and boli diameter. The shoulder height of 53 identified elephants was measured using photogrammetric methods. The minimum estimated shoulder height was 69 cm from a young calf, and the tallest animal was 216 cm. Hind footprint length and boli diameter data were collected from unidentified individuals. The minimum footprint size was 12.5 cm and the largest 35.3 cm. Boli diameter ranged from 4.0 to 16.0 cm. A comparison of the size categories with those of savanna elephants in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, suggested a similar distribution of size, age and population structure, despite a marked difference in overall stature. These are the first data for measures of African forest elephant size compared to African savanna elephant size. Such data may add morphological evidence supporting recent genetic work suggesting that African forest elephants be re-classified as a distinct species from the African savanna elephant. [source]


Effects of a lactoperoxidase system and lactoferrin, added to a milk replacer diet, on severity of diarrhoea, intestinal morphology and microbiology of digesta and faeces in young calves

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 1 2000
P. Van Leeuwen
The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of the combination of a lactoperoxidase system (LP-s) and lactoferrin (LF) added to a milk replacer diet on severity of diarrhoea, the morphology of the small intestinal mucosa, and the microbiology of digesta and faeces in young calves, in comparison with a control diet. The experiment was conducted with 30 young calves, 15 per treatment, during the period of 7,21 days of age. During this period, calves are sensitive to gastrointestinal disturbances that can cause diarrhoea. The results showed a significantly (p < 0.05) reduced severity of diarrhoea in the LP-s/LF group compared to the control group as assessed by faecal consistency scores. Numbers of CFU (colony forming units) of Escherichia coli in jejunal and colonic digesta and in faeces were lower in the LP-s/LF group compared with the control group. The differences were significant in both colonic digesta (p < 0.1) and in faeces (p < 0.05). Examination of the small intestinal mucosa, using a dissecting microscope, indicated more finger shaped villi in the distal jejunum of LP-s/LF-treated calves compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Histometrical measurements showed that these villi were significantly (p < 0.05) longer. [source]


Physiological responses of young cross-bred calves immediately after long-haul road transportation and after one week of habituation

ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 6 2009
Katsuji UETAKE
ABATRACT We investigated 10 suckling cross-bred calves (Japanese Black (Wagyu) × Holstein) and collected data on the physiological stress responses of the young calves to long-haul road transportation. All calves were male and 21,47 days of age. The calves were obtained at a livestock market and were transported from the market to the university in a commercial livestock vehicle. The total haul distance and time were 306.9 km and 7 h, respectively. The calves were deprived of food and water during transportation. Blood samples, electrocardiograms, and rectal temperatures were collected immediately after transportation and after one week of habituation at the university. Serum pH was significantly lower (P < 0.01), while serum triiodothyronine, aspartate aminotransferase, non-esterified fatty acids (all P < 0.05), and heart rate (P < 0.01) were significantly higher immediately after transportation. The concentrations of blood lactic acid (P = 0.08) and serum alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.06) tended to be higher after transportation. These physiological responses suggest that the stress caused by long-haul transportation causes significant effects on liver function in young calves. [source]