Progression and risk factors of pododermatitis in part-time group housed rabbit does in Switzerland

Metabolic status of rabbits under physiological adaptation to cage husbandry technology

The article considers changes in biochemical blood parameters depending on the degree of adaptation process manifesting on the plantar surface of hind limbs of different sex rabbits and physiological state under cage husbandry technology. Groups of stud bucks (1st series), pregnant and lactating does (2nd and 3rd series of experiments) were formed according to the stages of structural changes depending on the stress of physiological regulatory processes of adaptation (the systematics proposed by R.M. Baevsky). The authors studied the following factors in serum: total protein, protein fractions (albumin, α-, β-, γ-globulin), creatinine, total bilirubin, urea, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase, glucose triacylglycerol and cholesterol. At the stressed stage of regulatory systems the group of bucks showed a reduction of total bilirubin on the background of decrease of ALT, AST and alkaline phosphatase, which can testify to activation of liver function at this stage, and increase in bilirubin, ALT, AST with a simultaneous decrease in alkaline phosphatase, noted at the overstress stage of physiological adaptation regulatory processes, can testify to decrease in the functional activity of hepatocytes.Pregnant rabbits have the most pronounced compensatory reactions in the third stage of the adaptation process: the increase in absolute and relative γ-globulin values indicates the activation of immune factors. An increase in creatinine and urea levels during the gestation period, against a background of developing adaptive changes on the plantar surface of the feet, indicates a decrease in the filtration capacity of the renal tubules.Lactating animals experience an increased physiological load on the liver, which is expressed by an increase in triacylglycerols throughout the adaptation.

Bayesian Network Modeling Applied to Feline Calicivirus Infection Among Cats in Switzerland

Bayesian network (BN) modeling is a rich and flexible analytical framework capable of elucidating complex veterinary epidemiological data. It is a graphical modeling technique that enables the visual presentation of multi-dimensional results while retaining statistical rigor in population-level inference. Using previously published case study data about feline calicivirus (FCV) and other respiratory pathogens in cats in Switzerland, a full BN modeling analysis is presented. The analysis shows that reducing the group size and vaccinating animals are the two actionable factors directly associated with FCV status and are primary targets to control FCV infection. The presence of gingivostomatitis and Mycoplasma felis is also associated with FCV status, but signs of upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) are not. FCV data is particularly well-suited to a network modeling approach, as both multiple pathogens and multiple clinical signs per pathogen are involved, along with multiple potentially interrelated risk factors. BN modeling is a holistic approach—all variables of interest may be mutually interdependent—which may help to address issues, such as confounding and collinear factors, as well as to disentangle directly vs. indirectly related variables. We introduce the BN methodology as an alternative to the classical uni- and multivariable regression approaches commonly used for risk factor analyses. We advise and guide researchers about how to use BNs as an exploratory data tool and demonstrate the limitations and practical issues. We present a step-by-step case study using FCV data along with all code necessary to reproduce our analyses in the open-source R environment. We compare and contrast the findings of the current case study using BN modeling with previous results that used classical regression techniques, and we highlight new potential insights. Finally, we discuss advanced methods, such as Bayesian model averaging, a common way of accounting for model uncertainty in a Bayesian network context.

Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

The AGRI committee of the European Parliament requested EFSA to assess the welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems, including organic production, and to update its 2005 scientific opinion about the health and welfare of rabbits kept for meat production. Considering reproducing does, kits and growing rabbits, this scientific opinion focusses on six different housing systems, namely conventional cages, structurally enriched cages, elevated pens, floor pens, outdoor/partially outdoor systems and organic systems. To compare the level of welfare in the different housing systems and rabbit categories, welfare impact scores for 20 welfare consequences identified from the literature were calculated, taking their occurrence, duration and severity into account. Based on the overall welfare impact score (sum of scores for the single welfare consequences), obtained via a 2‐step expert knowledge elicitation process, the welfare of reproducing does is likely (certainty 66–90%) to be lower in conventional cages compared to the five other housing systems. In addition, it is likely to extremely likely (certainty 66–99%) that the welfare of kits is lower in outdoor systems compared to the other systems and that the welfare is higher in elevated pens than in the other systems. Finally, it is likely to extremely likely (certainty 66–99%) that the welfare of growing rabbits is lower in conventional cages compared to the other systems and that the welfare is higher in elevated pens than in the other systems. Ranking of the welfare consequences allowed an analysis of the main welfare consequences within each system and rabbit category. It was concluded that for reproducing does, as well as growing rabbits, welfare consequences related to behavioural restrictions were more prominent in conventional cages, elevated pens and enriched cages, whereas those related to health problems were more important in floor pens, outdoor and organic systems. Housing in organic rabbit farming is diverse, which can result in different welfare consequences, but the overall welfare impact scores suggest that welfare in organic systems is generally good.