Veterinary Integrative Sciences

Management of acute pancreatitis induced acute kidney injury by intermittent hemodialysis in a labrador retriever dog

Sachin — 2026-08-26

A 08-year-old male Labrador Retriever dog with history of anorexia, lethargy, severe vomiting, abdominal pain, weight loss, polyuria, polydipsia and melena from last 4 days was presented to hospital. Initial physical assessment revealed congested mucus membrane, with other vital parameters within normal physiological range. Hematological examination revealed neutrophilic leukocytosis with mild left shift. Biochemistry revealed Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)- 171 mg/dL, Creatinine-6.5 mg/dL, Lipase-1869 u/L and cPLI-414.8ng/mL. Abdominal ultrasound demonstrated hyperechoic cortex with a mild loss of cortico-medullary differentiation (CMD) in both kidneys, suggesting AKI. Blood gas analysis indicated metabolic acidosis with compensatory alkalosis. Initially, aggressive fluid therapy and other conservative treatment were administered for two days to mitigate the AKI. However, due to a further increase in creatinine levels to 7.2 mg/dL, IHD was initiated to manage the AKI. After four sessions of IHD, the dog recovered uneventfully. This case highlights the significance of early intervention with IHD in dogs afflicted with pancreatitis-induced AKI who remain unresponsive to conservative treatment. Azotemia serves as a negative prognostic indicator and necessitates prompt correction. Intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) demonstrated efficacy in restoring renal function and stabilizing metabolic parameters. The timely utilization of IHD can be life-saving and enhance long-term outcomes in canine AKI.

Effects of deep-bedding floor and fermented feed supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiome in Thai native crossbred pigs

Patipan Hnokaew — 2026-08-25

The gut microbiota is crucial for maintaining pig’s nutritional, physiological, and immunological functions, as well as enhancing pig productivity. Meanwhile, native crossbred pigs are particularly important to smallholders in many countries in Southeast Asia; they are often raised on a deep little or deep bedding system, and the main traditional feed resources are fermented agricultural by-products like banana stem, but knowledge about the gut microbiota of these native pigs is still lacking. The specific breed, bedding system, and fermented feed may result in a difference from the conventional pig's gut microbiota. The results of this study clarify the community of microbiota in the pig manure of pigs reared on deep bedding systems and understand the relationships between the deep bedding system, fermented feed, and the microbiota of Thai native crossbred pigs. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of bedding type and fermented feed supplement on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota of Thai native crossbred pigs. Thirty-two Thai native crossbred pigs were arranged in a 2x2 factorial experiment in a completely randomized design. Factor A was deep bedding (DP) or concrete bedding (C) system. Factor B was diet type of concentrate feed supplemented with a fresh banana stem (BS) or fermented banana stem (FBS). Cecal contents samples were collected after 120 days of raising for bacterial DNA extraction. Sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA amplicons was used to profile the gut microbiome, and analyses were performed on QIIME2. No differences between the factors of both treatments and their interactions on alpha (Chao1, Shannon, Simpson) and beta diversity (unweighted UniFrac distance metrics) were found. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Spirochetes were the three most abundant phyla for all treatments, and pigs reared on deep bedding system had a higher abundance of Solitalea, Paraprevotella, Sphingobacterium, and Phascolarctobacterium genera than pigs reared on concrete bedding system (P < 0.05), while Lactobacillus genus was higher than in pigs reared on concrete bedding system (P < 0.05). In addition, the average daily gain and final weight of pigs raised on concrete bedding system were found to be significantly higher than those of pigs raised on deep bedding system (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study suggests raising native crossbred pigs on a deep bedding system and fermented banana stem supplement can reduce environmental impact, feed costs, and improve microbial community for pig manure composting.

Association of prolactin gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with egg production traits in Vietnamese Tre chickens

Trang Thanh Gia — 2026-08-25

Improving egg production in Tre chickens through conventional selection is challenging because reproductive traits are expressed late and vary among individuals. This study evaluated two prolactin gene polymorphisms, PRL_Indel and PRL_AluI, and their associations with egg production traits in a single evaluated population of 400 Tre hens monitored for 20 weeks; no independent validation population was included. Genotype, additive, dominance, and haplotype effects were analyzed using models adjusted for age and body weight at first egg. Hens reached sexual maturity at 131.7 days on average, and total egg production averaged 57.1 ± 23.1 eggs. PRL_Indel showed moderate genetic variation but was not significantly associated with the evaluated traits. In contrast, PRL_AluI was associated with total egg production, laying rate, and peak production. TT hens showed higher adjusted means than CC hens, and contrast analysis indicated a mainly additive favorable effect of the T allele. Haplotype analysis was consistent with this pattern, with the I-C haplotype showing lower egg production and laying rate than the D-T reference haplotype. These findings represent population-specific statistical associations rather than evidence of direct causality. PRL_AluI and related haplotype information may be considered candidate markers for egg production traits in Tre chickens, but validation in independent populations and functional studies are needed before routine breeding application.

Improving Boer goat semen freezing using poultry egg yolks: A study in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

Khuong Tran Thi Thanh — 2026-09-08

Cryopreservation is widely used for long-term sperm preservation and genetic resource conservation. However, the freezing and thawing process can induce oxidative stress, membrane damage, and DNA fragmentation, thereby reducing post-thaw sperm quality. This study evaluated the effects of chicken, duck, and quail egg yolks at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% on the post-thaw quality of Boer goat sperm. Semen collected from four mature Boer bucks was diluted in a Tris-citrate-glycerol extender supplemented with different egg yolk sources and concentrations, and stored in liquid nitrogen. After 72 h of storage, semen was thawed at 37 °C for 60 s and evaluated for overall and progressive motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, and DNA fragmentation. For all three egg yolk sources, supplementation at 15% produced the highest post-thaw sperm quality (p<0.05). Among the three optimal 15% egg yolk treatments, 15% chicken egg yolk resulted in significantly higher overall motility (66.54%), progressive motility (54.67%), viability (71.37%), plasma membrane integrity (51.32%), and acrosome integrity (80.76%), together with significantly lower DNA fragmentation (12.88%), than duck and quail egg yolks (p<0.05). Increasing the chicken egg yolk concentration to 20% significantly reduced post-thaw sperm quality compared with 15% supplementation. Under the conditions of the present study, supplementation of a Tris-citrate-glycerol extender with 15% chicken egg yolk provided the best post-thaw sperm quality and may serve as a practical strategy for optimizing Boer goat semen cryopreservation protocols.

Prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, and selected resistance genes of Salmonella spp. isolated from ducks in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Pham Ngoc Thao Vy — 2026-09-22

This study assessed the occurrence of Salmonella spp. in ducks sampled at selected sites in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, and characterized antimicrobial susceptibility and selected antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in the recovered isolates. Of 514 cloacal swabs collected at farms, smallholder households, and live-bird trading sites, 58 were positive (11.28%; 95% CI: 8.68–14.34), yielding 83 representative isolates. Positivity was numerically higher in semi-intensive and intensive systems than in scavenging systems, although the association was not statistically significant (P = 0.077). Resistance was most common to amoxicillin (84.34%) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (59.04%), followed by sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (31.33%), cefotaxime (21.69%), and doxycycline (20.48%). Sixty-eight isolates (81.93%) were resistant to at least two agents, whereas 11 (13.25%) met the class-based definition of multidrug resistance. At least one of the five tested ARGs was detected in 55 isolates (66.27%). The most frequent gene was aac(3)-IV (46.99%), followed by sul1 (22.89%), dfrA1 (15.66%), tetA (13.25%), and blaTEM (7.23%). The mismatch between phenotypic resistance and detection of the selected genes indicates that the five-gene panel captured only part of the resistance background. Overall, antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella was present in the sampled duck production settings, supporting continued surveillance, improved biosecurity, and prudent antimicrobial use.

Genotype and slaughter age shape carcass, meat-quality and sensory profiles of Ta-Pao-Thong, Sam-Leuang and Ta-Pao-Thong-Kasetsart chickens

Prayad Thirawong — 2026-10-02

Native-type chickens are increasingly valued in Thailand for their distinct meat quality, but systematic comparisons of carcass and sensory attributes among Thai native-type genotypes across slaughter ages remain limited. This study evaluated 180 mixed-sex chickens of three Thai native-type genotypes, including Ta-Pao-Thong (TP), Sam-Leuang (SL), and their crossbred Ta-Pao-Thong-Kasetsart (TPK), raised under the same management conditions and slaughtered at 12, 14, and 16 weeks of age in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement. Carcass traits, breast and thigh pH, meat color, cooking loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force and trained-panel sensory scores were determined. Slaughter weight increased with age in all genotypes and was generally higher in TPK than in SL, with TP showing intermediate values. Genotype had modest effects on pH and meat color, whereas cooking loss and shear force were influenced mainly by genotype and/or slaughter age. A sensory evaluation indicated that breast and thigh meat from all genotype-age combinations was acceptable to the trained panel. SL thigh meat, particularly at 14 and 16 weeks, showed favorable taste and overall acceptability scores, while TPK combined higher slaughter weight with acceptable sensory scores. These findings showed that the TP, SL, and TPK genotypes had diverse carcass and meat-quality profiles, supporting potential product differentiation within the 12-16-week slaughter window, pending further consumer and economic validation.

Detection of Clostridium algidicarnis in beef in Thailand and comparison of their characteristics with strains from Central Europe

Kannika Na-Lampang — 2026-10-07

Cold-tolerant clostridia are important, albeit largely unexplored, spoilage microorganisms of vacuum-packed beef. Studies on these bacteria mainly take place in regions with a temperate climate, with very few conducted in the tropical countries. As beef consumption in Thailand is constantly increasing, this study aimed to investigate whether these bacteria exist in meat sold in the country. Vacuum-packed beef samples (n = 40) were collected from various supermarkets in two different provinces. Overall, 40.0% of samples tested positive for clostridia by PCR and 22.5% by culture. Of these, 14 samples were positive for Clostridium algidicarnis, while the other two samples were positive for C. perfringens. No correlation was found between positive beef samples and the level of gas production in meat packs. When compared with Austrian and German strains, all tested strains (n = 10) grew well in PYGS broth at 10°C and 25°C, grew slowly at 4°C, but showed no growth at 37°C. A low sporulation rate was observed during cultivation in pure media. Similarity in the MALDI-TOF-MS spectrum between the Thai and Austrian strains was observed. Although the detection rate is considered preliminary due to the small sample size, the results show that the cold-tolerant C. algidicarnis is present in vacuum-packed beef sold in Thailand.

Encapsulated defensins as antimicrobial alternatives for poultry: A review

Sugiharto Sugiharto — 2026-08-25

Foodborne zoonotic infections are primarily caused by Salmonella enterica and Clostridium perfringens. Encapsulated defensins offer a promising strategy for controlling both pathogens through their antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties. This review evaluates the strategies for delivering encapsulated defensins and their effectiveness in controlling both pathogens. Relevant studies were identified through systematic searches of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, covering publications from the last 15 years. Studies that evaluate the functional performance of defensin encapsulation systems were considered eligible, while those that do not provide relevant functional outcomes or sufficient methodological information were excluded. A total of 35 articles meets the eligibility criteria and constitute the primary evidence base for this review. Encapsulation improves defensin stability under acidic, enzymatic, and thermal conditions when enabling targeted release in the lower intestine, thereby enhancing antimicrobial efficacy, strengthening intestinal barrier function, and promoting beneficial gut microbiota. Polysaccharide-based carriers, including alginate, chitosan, and pectin, further support microbial homeostasis, immune responses, and reproductive performance through the production of short‑chain fatty acids. Overall, encapsulated defensins represent a promising and practical strategy for pathogen control and immune enhancement in poultry production.