The present review aims to integrate the anatomical characteristics of the mammary gland and the neurophysiology of milk ejection to understand the milking capacity of the water buffalo. Since one of the main uses of this species is milk production, this article will analyze the controversies on the use of oxytocin as a stimulant during milking as well as the existing alternatives that farmers apply to promote correct stimulation during milk letdown. According to the available literature, the efficiency of the milking process, the quality of the milk, and the health of the animals are elements that require the consideration of species-specific characteristics to enhance the performance of buffaloes. The incorporation of technological innovations and competitive strategies could contribute to a better understanding of water buffalo in the milk industry.

Infrared thermography (IRT) is a tool that has been studied extensively in the experimental medical field as a method for assessing surface thermal responses under various conditions. These may involve local inflammatory processes resulting from surgical procedures, wounds, neoplasms, pathologies, painful events, or stressful states in animals. IRT measures changes in blood flow in surface blood capillaries and the resulting heat radiation. In the clinical field, thermography has been used as a support method for detecting painful conditions. However, some guidelines indicate that it could be applied for assessing and monitoring animals in rehabilitation to quantify objectively possible improvements in their quality of life. Similarly, it has been observed that IRT makes it possible to assess the degree of circulation in dermal tissue, suggesting that it could be used to determine the degree of damage in traumatized tissue in cases of thromboembolic diseases and burns. This would be useful to distinguish between damaged and healthy tissue and thus determine the optimal therapy for burn patients. This review aims to analyze scientific evidence on the clinical applications of IRT for detecting diseases and assessing painful conditions. A literature search on different databases was performed to recover articles related to the application of IRT as a complementary diagnostic tool, as well as its potential for assisting in rehabilitation, monitoring wounds, and evaluating body temperature in domestic animals.

During the 1st days of life, water buffalo calves, especially those with low birth weight, are susceptible to hypothermic mortality due to scarce energy reserves provided by fats. This means that monitoring the thermal state of newborns is essential. The objectives of the present study were to apply infrared thermography (IRT) in 109 buffalo calves to detect differences in the surface temperatures of six thermal windows –lacrimal gland, lacrimal caruncle, periocular region, nostrils, ear canal, pelvic limbs–, and determine their association to birth weight during the first 6 days of life. The calves were divided into four categories according to their weight (Q1, 37.8–41.25 kg; Q2, 41.3–46.3 kg; Q3, 46.4–56.3 kg; Q4, 56.4–60.3 kg). The thermographic images were recorded in the morning and afternoon. Results showed that the animals in Q4 registered the highest temperatures in all the thermal windows, and that these were higher in the afternoon (p < 0.0001). When considering the thermal windows, those located in the facial region recorded the highest temperatures; in contrast, the temperatures at the pelvic limbs remained below the average values of the other windows (33.41 and 33.76°C in the morning and afternoon, respectively). According to these results, the birth weight of water buffaloes is a factor that alters their thermoregulation during the 1st days of life, a condition that can be partially compensated by colostrum intake to promote development of an efficient thermoregulatory mechanism in water buffalo calves.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics of the dual-purpose water buffalo production based on the Mexican production system as a model in tropical wetlands. It includes a broad literature review emphasizing the most recent and specialized publications examining key findings to improve our understanding in the performance of the buffalo species (Bubalus bubalis). The complementary topics addressed include reproductive management, parturition, the dam–calf bond, milking routines, and models of confinement and management, in addition to aspects related to milk commercialization. This article summarizes the advances made to date in this production system and its current margins for improvement. The development of dual-purpose water buffalo production systems in Mexico’s tropical wetlands is a relatively recent phenomenon that has progressed and improved due to herd management. Buffaloes are an interesting alternative for dual purpose systems that offer several advantages. The lower milk production of this species compared to cattle is its main limitation. However, the properties of their milk allow one to obtain an added value and make this type of farms competitive. In synthesis, consolidating buffalo production in Mexico’s tropical wetlands will require broadening our knowledge of this species, and perfecting the most appropriate handling procedures. The activities of government agencies and processing enterprises will play vital roles in achieving the integral modernization of this potentially important economic activity.

Oxytocin (OXT) is one of the essential hormones in the birth process; however, estradiol, prolactin, cortisol, relaxin, connexin, and prostaglandin are also present. In addition to parturition, the functions in which OXT is also involved in mammals include the induction of maternal behavior, including imprinting and maternal care, social cognition, and affiliative behavior, which can affect allo-parental care. The present article aimed to analyze the role of OXT and the neurophysiologic regulation of this hormone during parturition, how it can promote or impair maternal behavior and bonding, and its importance in lactation in domestic animals.