The technique of laparoscopic oocyte aspiration has been increasingly used in animals; however, there are few records of its use in buffaloes. To describe this technique, six suckling Murrah buffaloes aged between 3 and 5 months were used. Three laparoscopic ovum pick-ups were performed in each animal, with intervals of 15 days between surgeries, completing a total of 18 procedures. The technique used three surgical ports with optics and a high-definition video camera. The introduction of the first portal and insufflation of the abdomen was performed through the open technique, with aspiration using a 20 G needle transabdominally and a vacuum pump calibrated at 50 mmHg. The mean complete surgical time from anesthesia to the removal of the animal from the litter was 49 ± 9.8 min. There were 27.8% cases of insufflation on the wrong side of the omentum. The oocyte recovery rate of 60.3% remained within the normal range. However, the rate of viable oocytes recovered was low, with only 40.8% of those recovered undergoing in vitro embryo production (IVEP). These data demonstrate that this simple, minimally invasive technique is an excellent reproductive tool for the genetic improvement of buffalo species.

Umbilical disorders, which frequently occur in calves, are among the major causes of economic losses in herds. Antibiotic therapy alone is effective for some infectious cases, but surgical intervention is often indicated. This review aims to provide an overview of the clinical and surgical perspectives of the principal umbilical disorders in calves. The umbilicus may be affected by infectious or non-infectious conditions, including hernia, persistent urachus, omphalitis, urachitis, omphalophlebitis, and omphaloarteritis. Infectious varieties can culminate in sepsis and sometimes even involve other organs. Under these conditions, the chief complaint of calves tends to be apathy and visible swelling in the umbilical region. When surgery is indicated, the veterinary surgeon needs to have a thorough understanding of umbilical disorders, which coupled with careful clinical examination, will enable the formulation of an effective surgical plan. Surgical principles linked to pre-, trans-, and post-operative care must be considered, as recovery depends upon the surgery performed, pathological factors, and the patient's individual response. Some of the most common surgeries performed include herniorrhaphy, urachus, and umbilical vein resection. Several technological resources, such as ultrasonography and laparoscopy, are new tools that can help improve the performance of these procedures.

No abstract

Birds may experience outbreaks of disease and exhibit  symptoms of progressive flaccid paralysis, which may be related to poisoning through botulinum toxins arising from anaerobic sources in the rearing regimen. The botulism outbreaks in birds are associated more closely with type C toxins, and they are among the most vulnerable species, showing a high degree of susceptibility to this poison. This study was conducted with the objective of characterizing the outbreak of botulism in free-range chickens, considering of the clinical and epidemiological features of this case. Care was taken to provide reliable data in order to enable wise decisions and implementation of a course of prophylactic actions in these farming systems. A rustic breeding system suddenly experienced an outbreak in which birds of all ages were affected, around 50 % of the birds (15/30), where the 15 birds affected with peripheral nervous system and muscular dysfunctions, typical of botulism were evaluated, exhibiting easily detached feathers and flaccid paralysis ascending up the legs, wings and neck, resulting in the demise of all the affected chickens. Unfortunately, the antibiotic-based treatment did nothing to slow down or stop the progression of clinical signs, and no improvement was observed in the affected birds. Thus, the rural farming systems must necessarily ensure preventive measures as a priority. These include vaccination and eradication of the sources that promote high levels of contamination by botulinum toxins, like stagnant water puddles, decaying food waste, rotting carcasses, and soiled chicken litter, besides other anaerobic sources.  Keywords: Birds. Clostridium botulinum. Flaccid Paralysis. Feather Drop. Toxins.     Resumo Surtos com paralisia flácida progressiva podem ocorrer em aves e estão associadas à intoxicação por toxinas botulínica provenientes de fontes anaeróbicas existentes no sistema de criação. Os surtos de botulismo em aves estão mais associados às toxinas do tipo C, estando entre as espécies mais vulneráveis, apresentando alto grau de suscetibilidade. O objetivo do trabalho foi caracterizar o surto sugestivo de botulismo em galinhas caipiras, considerando os aspectos clínicos e epidemiológicos do caso, assegurando o conjunto de dados confiáveis para tomada de decisões e adoção de medidas profiláticas em sistemas de criação de galinhas caipiras. O surto ocorreu em um sistema de criação caipira, acometendo aves de todas as idades, cerca de 50% das aves do plantel (15/30), onde foram avaliadas as 15 aves acometidas com disfunções do sistema nervoso periférico e muscular, típicos de botulismo, com penas facilmente desprendidas e paralisia flácida ascendentes das pernas, asas e pescoço, culminando na morte de todas as aves acometidas. O tratamento realizado a base de antibiótico não influenciou na progressão dos sinais clínicos, portanto, sem melhora clínica das aves acometidas. Desta forma, medidas preventivas devem ser priorizadas no sistema de criação caipira, como vacinação e eliminação de fontes que apresentem alto risco de contaminação por toxinas botulínicas, como poças d'águas estagnadas, restos alimentares em putrefação, carcaças, cama de frango contaminada, dentre outras fontes anaeróbicas.  Palavras-chave: Aves. Clostridium botulinum. Paralisia Flácida. Queda de Penas. Toxinas.