Veterinary Medicine Commons^™

The Mental Health Epidemic In Veterinary Medicine: An Analysis Of Burnout In The Veterinary Field, Hannah Eckstein

Undergraduate Theses

The Mayo Clinic describes burnout as a specific type of stress that involves a state of physical or emotional exhaustion. This exhaustion can lead to a lowered sense of accomplishment and negative personal identity. Despite burnout not being an actual diagnosis, many researchers believe there are several mental health components that contribute to burnout, such as depression and anxiety. Several factors are known to contribute to specifically work-related burnout, including lack of control, work-life imbalance, lack of social support, and extremes of the activity. All of the above factors relate to the veterinary field. In one study, 6.8% of male …

Regenerative Medicine For Tendon/Ligament Injuries: De Novo Equine Tendon/Ligament Neotissue Generation And Application, Takashi Taguchi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tendon and ligament injuries are debilitating conditions across species. Poor regenerative capacities of these tissues limit restoration of original functions. The first study evaluated the effect of cellular administration on tendon/ligament injuries in horses using meta-analysis. The cellular administration was effective in restoring ultrasonographic echogenicity and increasing vascularity during early phase of healing. Additionally, it improved microstructural organization of healed tissue in terms of cellularity and fiber alignment. However, the study did not support its use for increasing rate of return to performance, expression/deposition of tendon-specific genes/proteins, or mechanical properties.

The findings led to the second study that engineered implantable …

The Effects Of Artificial Insemination On Beef Cattle In The United States, Allee R. Sweeten, Abigail Shelnut, Madison Dickey

ATU Scholars Symposium

Artificial insemination (AI) is a reproductive procedure widely used in cattle industries and other livestock to increase pregnancy rates. Breeders must wait until the animals are in the estrus part of their estrous cycle to AI. Estrus synchronization is utilized to manipulate the estrous cycle to go into estrus or standing heat. AI is conducted by loading a semen straw into an inseminating gun, inserting the gun into the vagina of the heifer, and making sure it gets past the cervix by palpating with the other hand. Once past the cervix, the semen can be distributed in the heifer. AI …

The Demographic Shift Of Males And Females In Veterinary Medicine, Dalton Tatum, Eddy Patterson, Mia C. Ratliff

ATU Scholars Symposium

The workforce in veterinary medicine saw a gender shift from a male dominated field towards women in the present day. This research aimed to determine why this shift occurred through demographic analysis and surveys to different job types in this career path. By using this data, the group determined that one of the biggest impacts of the shift is due to the very component that makes veterinary medicine such a tough field, and it is located at the graduate school entry level . The competitiveness level is intertwined through all of the data and leads to the conclusion that females …

Use Of A Clinical Skills Training Center To Supplement A Distributive Model Of Education In A Veterinary Technology Program, Megan Taliaferro

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

A distributive model of education has recently become a popular method for training veterinary technicians in the United States. Although this model has significant benefits, such as decreased cost of program infrastructure, there are significant challenges in managing students and their clinical skill acquisition using private veterinary hospitals. A clinical skills training center was implemented at Tidewater Community College to address a main shortcoming of the distributive model, namely the lack of specialized training models at outside hospitals. Based on survey findings, both students and clinical mentors found the veterinary technology clinical skill training center to be a beneficial addition …

Assessing The Nutritional Value Of Dubia Roaches (Blaptica Dubia) As A Feeder Insect In Reptiles, Elise Barras

LSU Master's Theses

Dubia roaches (Blaptica dubia) have emerged on the market as a high protein and low-fat alternative to other feeder insects for captive reptiles. However, much like other insects, dubia roaches naturally have an inverse calcium to phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio. Offering insects to reptiles that are deficient in calcium can lead to nutritional disease (e.g., nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism). For dubia roaches to be a valuable feeder insect, their Ca:P ratio must be corrected. Several studies have assessed their nutritional composition, but no studies have manipulated the calcium content of these insects. Using a high calcium (8.3% calcium, dry matter) …

A Ferritin Nanoparticle-Based Zika Virus Vaccine Candidate Induces Robust Humoral And Cellular Immune Responses And Protects Mice From Lethal Virus Challenge, Aryamav Pattnaik, Bikash R. Sahoo, Lucas R. Struble, Gloria E. O. Borgstahl, You Zhou, Rodrigo Franco, Raul G. Barletta, Fernando A. Osorio, Thomas M. Petro, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The severe consequences of the Zika virus (ZIKV) infections resulting in congenital Zika syndrome in infants and the autoimmune Guillain–Barre syndrome in adults warrant the development of safe and efficacious vaccines and therapeutics. Currently, there are no approved treatment options for ZIKV infection. Herein, we describe the development of a bacterial ferritin-based nanoparticle vaccine candidate for ZIKV. The viral envelope (E) protein domain III (DIII) was fused in-frame at the amino-terminus of ferritin. The resulting nanoparticle displaying the DIII was examined for its ability to induce immune responses and protect vaccinated animals upon lethal virus challenge. Our results show that …

Cell-Specific Role Of Il4rα Signaling In Allergic Asthma, Ishita Choudhary

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

IL-4 and IL-13 play a critical role in allergic asthma pathogenesis via their common receptor, i.e., interleukin 4 receptor alpha (IL4Rα). However, the cell type-specific role of IL4Rα-mediated signaling in allergic asthma has remained unclear. We hypothesized that the role of IL4Rα signaling in allergic asthma is cell-type specific. To test our hypothesis, we challenged myeloid cell-specific IL4Rα-deficient (LysMcre^+/+/IL4Rα^fl/fl), myeloid cell-specific IL4Rα-sufficient (LysMcre^+/+/IL4Rα^wt/wt), airway epithelial cell-specific IL4Rα-deficient (CCSP-Cre⁺/IL4Rα^fl/fl), and airway epithelial cell-specific IL4Rα-sufficient (CCSP-Cre^-/IL4Rα^fl/fl) mice with either mixed allergens (MA) or normal saline three …

Effect Of Furosemide Administration On Plasma Analytes And Urine Enzyme Excretion In Two Reptilian Species, Kathryn Metcalf

LSU Master's Theses

Renal disease is a common ailment of captive reptiles that is often closely linked to chronic, subclinical states of dehydration. Currently, the diagnosis of renal disease in reptiles is poorly characterized and often relies on invasive diagnostic techniques (e.g., renal biopsy) for definitive diagnosis. A potential outlet for the further characterization of renal dysfunction in reptiles is the induction of dehydration by furosemide therapy. Furosemide is a loop diuretic that is commonly used in mammalian patients for the treatment of congestive heart failure. The utility of furosemide in reptiles is poorly characterized, however, both experimental and clinical utility of this …

Effects Of Pregnancy And Progesterone On Atrial Fibrillation, Heloisa M. Rutigliano

Browse all Datasets

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrythmia in adults with likely sex-specific risk factors. Female sex hormones may be important in modulating risk for atrial fibrillation. We hypothesize that pregnancy and progesterone (P4), a hormone found in high levels during pregnancy with abrupt withdrawal immediately after parturition, modulates AF susceptibility in female goats. Cardiac specific TGF-?1 transgenic female goats and age-matched wild-type (WT) female goats were utilized. Pacemakers were implanted in all animals for continuous arrhythmia monitoring and AF inducibility. AF inducibility was evaluated using 5 separate 10 s bursts of atrial pacing (160 - 200 ms). In …

Contribution Of The Microbiome On Reproductive Outcomes During Pregnancy, Kalie Beckers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A series of translational comparative studies were performed to investigate the effects of the maternal microbiome on reproductive function and outcomes. With the launch of the human microbiome project in 2007, the next generation sequencing of microbiomes is booming. It is not only in the human medicine field, but also in veterinary species. This study specifically investigates the fecal microbiome in blood pressure high sublime 5 (BPH/5) mouse model that spontaneously develops preeclampsia (PE) and obesity. Additionally, the equine reproductive tract microbiome was explored and compared to microbiome of other host body sites. The BPH/5 mouse is a translational model …

Pharmacokinetics Of Single Feeding Of Cannabidiol In Cattle: A Pilot Study, Haley Cornette

Honors College Theses

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a substance that has been used in complementary medicine for many years. However, modern medicine has little knowledge of how this substance is utilized and metabolized in ruminant animals. Regulations on quality assurance and use in animals are lacking, and CBD supplementation in livestock is not approved. If CBD supplements can be shown to be safe and effective, detection in the animal will be important for determining regulation of use. A withdrawal period can then be established to allow time for deterioration of product to safe levels before livestock products enter human markets. This study sought to …

"Barriers Between Client Education/Communication And Exotic Animal Husbandry", Caileigh M. Linton

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study is to quantify the knowledge gap between clientele and veterinary staff about exotic animal husbandry corresponding to housing and diet specifically. With the rise of social media platforms and influencers, the spread of misinformation and stigma revolving around the mistrust of veterinary staff has created strife between clients and veterinary professionals. Misinformation influences pet owners to implement aspects of care into their pets lives that may be unnecessary or harmful. Consequently, as veterinary professionals attempt to educate their clients they are not always trusting of the information being provided to them. This can lead to …

Corticosterone Measurement In A Cryptosporidium-Positive Population Of Louisiana Pine Snakes (Pituophis Ruthveni), Corinne Mayer

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni) are one of the rarest snake species in North America, and federally classified as “threatened” (United States Fish and Wildlife, 2018). Recent establishment of sustainable captive breeding populations combined with decades of field research by conservation biologists has led to several advancements in our knowledge of this species; however, further investigations into health parameters and the physiology of this species are needed to optimize management of captive populations.

One recent investigation highlighted the difficulties in reliably differentiating the sexes in P. ruthveni using traditional tail probing techniques (Katz et al., 2020). Prior to …

Growing South Dakota (Spring 2023), College Of Agriculture, Food And Environmental Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 3 Developing Climate-Smart Beef and Bison Commodities
[Page] 5 Joseph Cassady Leads CAFES as New Dean
[Page] 7 Inaugural Class of Klingbeil Scholars
[Page] 9 Jackrabbits to Future Veterinarians
[Page] 11 Protecting South Dakota’s Grasslands
[Page] 13 Growing Youth Programs
[Page] 15 Partnerships for Positive Growth
[Page] 17 Building Highly Effective Boards
[Page] 19 SDSU Extension Podcasts
[Page] 21 Providing Good Food for All
[Page] 23 Improving Seed Varieties
[Page] 25 CAFES Endowed Positions
[Page] 29 Jackrabbits Now and Then

2023 Research Day Program, Lincoln Memorial University

Research Day

This program contains abstracts and presentation summaries from LMU's 2023 Annual Research Day conference.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5n1) Virus Outbreak In New England Seals, United States, Wendy Puryear, Kaitlin Sawatzki, Nichola Hill, Alexa Foss, Jonathon J. Stone, Lynda Doughty, Dominique Walk, Katie Gilbert, Maureen Murray, Elena Cox, Priya Patel, Zak Mertz, Stephanie Ellis, Jennifer Taylor, Deborah Fauquier, Ainsley Smith, Robert A. Digiovanni, Adriana Van De Guchte, Ana Silvia Gonzalez-Reiche, Zain Khalil, Harm Van Bakel, Mia K. Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, Julianna B. Lenoch, Jonathan Runstadler

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We report the spillover of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) into marine mammals in the northeastern United States, coincident with H5N1 in sympatric wild birds. Our data indicate monitoring both wild coastal birds and marine mammals will be critical to determine pandemic potential of influenza A viruses.

Time And Temperature Stability Of Tritrichomonas Foetus In Phosphate-Buffered Saline As Evaluated By A Reverse Transcription Real-Time Pcr Assay And Field Analysis, Duan S. Loy, Renata Spuri Gomes, Enakshy Dutta, Bruce W. Brodersen, John Dustin Loy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Tritrichomonas foetus (TF) is a significant reproductive pathogen of cattle, and sample collection, handling, transport, and testing are significant hurdles to surveillance programs. Recent methods have been developed that allow for the direct detection of TF using a reverse transcription real-time PCR (direct RT-qPCR) approach. To evaluate these methods, a comparative analysis was conducted to assess the technical performance of this assay with a commercially available real- time PCR (qPCR) assay. In addition, the evaluation of two types of collection media (PBS and TF transport tube) was conducted that evaluated sample stability from 0 to 3 days when stored at …

Epidemiological Survey Of Bovine Babesia And Theileria Parasites In Buffaloes In District Dera Ismail, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Waseem Ullah, Arsalan Khan, Akhtar Ali, Imtiaz Ali Shah, Umm E. Aimen, Imtiaz Khan, Abdul Wadood Jan, Saqib Ali Rustam

Journal of Bioresource Management

Piroplasmosis (babesiosis and theileriosis) are the leading blood parasites responsible for significant economic losses to the dairy enterprises. These parasites are transmitted by Ixodid ticks from a diseased animal to a healthy animal. This study was executed to determine the prevalence of Theileria and Babesia in water buffaloes in District Dera Ismail Khan for their risk assessment. During this trial, 350 random blood samples were obtained from buffalos within the region of District Dera Ismail Khan and examined for Babesia and Theileria parasites using Giemsa staining technique under an oil immersion lens. Forty-eight blood samples were found positive and the …

Disease Risk Of Reintroducing Primates Confiscated From The Illegal Wildlife Trade, Ana Patricia Mendoza Becerra

Dissertations

Zoonotic infections are easily shared between human and other primates, and thus primate trafficking poses a high risk of introducing zoonotic pathogens into urban environments as well as spreading human-associated diseases into natural environments when infected primates are released. The magnitude of these risks has not been thoroughly studied in the context of primate trafficking and rehabilitation of Neotropical primates. In this dissertation, I address some knowledge gaps in disease risk analysis of reintroducing trafficked primates. In chapter 1, I describe the dynamics, diversity, and composition of live wildlife trafficking in urban markets in Peru. I found these markets are …