There is great need for veterinary care for working equids worldwide. Addressing this need provides an opportunity for veterinary students to gain primary care experience. An annual two week collaborative outreach and educational program with Michigan State University (MSU), the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and the Universidad Veracruzana (UV) was developed to provide care for working equids in rural Mexican communities. From 2017 to 2019 24 US veterinary students and 25 Mexican veterinary students, interns and residents examined, vaccinated and dewormed more than 2200 equids and performed more than 80 castrations, 100 rectal palpations for pregnancy diagnosis, 220 dental floats and 320 hoof trims. They also treated many wounds, sarcoids, vampire bat bites and tick infestations and also saw unusual cases including tetanus, eye injuries, nuchal bursitis, cervical vertebral malformation and suspected vesicular stomatitis. Development of the collaborative MSU-UNAM-UV Equine Welfare in Practice Clerkship required vision, learning, relationship building, creativity, fund-raising and perseverance to develop and agree on mutually beneficial objectives for all participants. The project is largely financed through private donations and supplies provided by pharmaceutical companies. The outcome has been a highly successful program that could be used as a model by other Colleges of Veterinary Medicine world-wide.

The use of omega fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation could be a beneficial strategy to improve health and production in ruminants. In this study, the effect of the dietary addition of c9, t11 and t10, c12 isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in pure soybean oil (T1) was compared with pure soybean oil (T2) and soybean oil discarded after frying fish (Centropomus undecimalis, Pagrus pagrus, and Caranx crysos; T3) on the fatty acid profile in ewe milk and the tissues of their lambs. Forty-five multiparous ewes (East Friesian × Katahdin), 32 to 35 months old, 70 days pregnant, were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental diets. The fatty acid profile, total solids, fat, protein, and lactose in milk were determined 14 days postpartum. Fifteen lambs from each treatment were sacrificed at 70 days of age, and the fatty acid profiles in perirenal fat, muscle, and brain were determined. In milk, fat and total solids content were lower with T1. On the other hand, linoleic acid content, the sum of omega-6 and DHA were higher in T1 compared to other groups (p < 0.05). In the brain, stearic acid and linoleic acid concentration increased with T1; eicosapentaenoic acid decreased and omega-3s increased with T3, while DHA was lower in T2 (p < 0.05). The addition of CLA isomers or discarded soybean oil in ewe diet from pregnancy to lactation is advantageous for the ewe since less energy in the form of milk fat is lost. In addition, increasing the concentration of omega fatty acids in ewe diet to improve omega fatty acids in lamb’s brain could be a feed strategy to increase their productivity and health.

The use of vegetable oils has improved the productive and reproductive conditions in sheep, although the beneficial effects depend on the type of fatty acid supplemented. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of conjugated linoleic acid and recycled vegetable oil used in seafood deep-frying on the reproductive and productive activity of sheep in tropical México. Thirty-three Katahdin x East Friesian ewes were randomly assigned to one of three diets with: 3% vegetable oil (control); 2% vegetable oil + 1% conjugated linoleic acid; or 3% recycled vegetable oil used in seafood deep-frying. The trial lasted from two weeks prior to estrus synchronization to 60 d after partum. Body weight and reproductive characteristics were recorded in ewes and body weight in lambs. The results indicated beneficial effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on reproductive activity (conception rate and resumption of reproductive activity); however, lambs of dams fed recycled vegetable oil used in seafood deep-frying had the best daily weight gains. Therefore, the reproductive activity was improved with conjugated linoleic acid supplementation in dams, while the growth performance of the progeny was enhanced with recycled vegetable oil used in seafood deep-frying. http://dx.doi.org/10.21929/abavet2023.25 e2022-76 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUztdNlaMjw El uso de aceites vegetales ha demostrado mejorar las condiciones productivas y reproductivas en ovejas, aunque los efectos dependen del tipo de ácido graso suplementado. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el efecto del ácido linoleico conjugado y aceite vegetal de freiduría de pescado en la actividad reproductiva y productiva de ovejas en el trópico mexicano. Se utilizaron 33 ovejas multíparas Katahdin x East Friesian, las cuales fueron asignadas aleatoriamente a tres dietas integrales con: 3% aceite vegetal (testigo); 2% aceite vegetal + 1% ácido linoleico conjugado; 3% aceite vegetal reciclado de freiduría de pescado. El periodo de evaluación fue dos semanas previas a la sincronización del estro y hasta los 60 días postparto. En las ovejas se registraron el peso vivo y las características reproductivas, y en los corderos se registró el peso vivo. Los resultados indicaron efectos benéficos de la suplementación con ácido linoleico conjugado al mejorar la actividad reproductiva de las ovejas (menor número de servicios por concepción y mayor prontitud en estros posparto); sin embargo, los corderos de madres que consumieron el aceite vegetal de freiduría de pescado tuvieron las mejores ganancias diarias de peso. Se concluye que la actividad reproductiva de las ovejas mejoró por la suplementación con ácido linoleico conjugado, mientras que el desarrollo de la progenie fue beneficiado con el aceite vegetal de freiduría de pescado. http://dx.doi.org/10.21929/abavet2023.25 e2022-76 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUztdNlaMjw http://dx.doi.org/10.21929/abavet2023.25 e2022-76 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUztdNlaMjw

Information on Leptospira spp. exposure in Mexican equids remains limited. This cross-sectional study evaluated seropositivity and antigen-specific seroreactivity in 313 apparently healthy equids enrolled by convenience sampling in Los Tuxtlas (n = 119), Sotavento (n = 108), and Capital (n = 86), Veracruz, Mexico, from 2 October 2023 to 6 March 2024. Sera were examined by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) against 13 antigens; titers ≥ 1:100 defined seropositivity. Overall seropositivity was 57.5% (180/313; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.0–62.9), with regional proportions of 49.6%, 65.7%, and 58.1%, respectively (unadjusted p = 0.048). Modified Poisson models with robust variance were fitted separately for region with species and region with sex. For Sotavento versus Los Tuxtlas, the adjusted prevalence ratio was 1.33 after adjustment for species (95% CI: 1.06–1.67) and 1.33 after adjustment for sex (95% CI: 1.06–1.66). Antigen-specific seroreactivity was most frequent for Australis (63/313; 20.1%), Bratislava (62/313; 19.8%), and Pyrogenes (57/313; 18.2%); these are overlapping antigen responses, not mutually exclusive serogroup estimates. Environmental and management exposures were not measured at the animal level. The findings support surveillance at the animal–human–environment interface but do not demonstrate active shedding or zoonotic transmission.

To evaluate the effects of a fixed-time artificial insemination (AI) protocol on the reproductive efficiency of 400 dairy cows, two artificial insemination protocols were evaluated: fixed-time AI with the Ovsynch protocol and AI at estrus detected by visual observation. Cows that returned to heat 21 days after artificial insemination were treatment with Ovsynch protocol until they were considered pregnant. The pregnancy diagnosis was by ultrasound. The Ovsynch protocol to perform fixed-time AI improves the pregnancy rate and reduces services per conception, during the first, second and third service, compared to AI at detected estrus. In all 3 services. The AI at fixed-time increased the pregnancy rate from 35.3% to 45.6%, and services per conception reduced (P ≤ 0.05) from 2.82 to 2.18 as compared to AI at estrus detected. Therefore, the implementation of the Ovsynch protocol for AI at a fixed-time is an alternative to IA estrus detected. http://dx.doi.org/10.21929/abavet2024.7 e2023-2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge6-v_DQ8WQ Con el objetivo de evaluar el efecto de un programa de sincronización para inseminación artificial (IA) a tiempo fijo sobre la eficiencia reproductiva de 400 vacas lecheras, se compararon dos protocolos de inseminación artificial: IA a tiempo fijo con protocolo Ovsynch y IA a celo detectado por observación visual. Las vacas que repitieron celo, 21 días posteriores a la inseminación artificial, se sometieron a un nuevo tratamiento con un máximo de dos ocasiones hasta confirmar preñez. El diagnostico de gestación se realizó por ecografía. El protocolo Ovsynch para realizar la IA a tiempo fijo, mejora la tasa de gestación y reduce los servicios por concepción, durante el primero, segundo y tercer servicio, en comparación con la IA a celo detectado. En los 3 servicios, la IA a tiempo fijo aumentó la tasa de preñez de 35.3% a un 45.6%, mientras que los servicios por concepción los redujo (P ≤ 0.05) de 2.82 a 2.18 en comparación con IA a celo detectado. Por ello, la implementación del protocolo Ovsynch para realizar IA a tiempo fijo es una alternativa viable en sustitución de un protocolo de inseminación a celo detectado. http://dx.doi.org/10.21929/abavet2024.7 e2023-2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge6-v_DQ8WQ http://dx.doi.org/10.21929/abavet2024.7 e2023-2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge6-v_DQ8WQ