Fernando da Mata | Newcastle University (original) (raw)
Papers by Fernando da Mata
Animal Biodiversity and Conservation
Arid environments suffer anthropogenic interference causing habitat degradation. This degradation... more Arid environments suffer anthropogenic interference causing habitat degradation. This degradation can influence animal populations. We randomly captured a total of 198 lesser jerboas Jaculus jaculus in three seasons (autumn, spring and summer) in two relatively close areas (intact and degraded). All animals were sexed, and weight, body and tail length, and thigh thickness were taken. We found significant differences in weight (p < 0.001), which was lower in summer (p < 0.05) when fewer food resources were available. Thigh thickness was greater in the intact habitat (p < 0.01), explained by the greater amount of food resources and also by the higher numbers of predators in this area, prompting escape behaviour. Females in the intact area were heavier and had longer bodies and tails. This was related to greater availability of time for mothers to search for food in this area.
Animal Biodiversity and Conservation
Data concerning 212 turtles emerging on the southwest beaches of Mahe Island in the Seychelles we... more Data concerning 212 turtles emerging on the southwest beaches of Mahe Island in the Seychelles were collected in 2017 and 2018. These data were used to model the probability of eggs being laid in relation to several variables. The probability of successful laying after emergence was highest on certain beaches and in areas of short vegetation, between open sand and trees. We found successful laying was related to the physical properties of the soil, indicating that survivability of embryos and hatchlings is higher in certain areas. The turtles appeared to choose zones where soil had low salinity, good drainage but ability to retain water, and absence of spring tides and extreme temperatures.
The Veterinary record, Jan 4, 2014
Orf is a viral disease found in English sheep flocks which can cause economic losses. It is a zoo... more Orf is a viral disease found in English sheep flocks which can cause economic losses. It is a zoonosis with little epidemiological research available in the UK. In 2012, 3000 questionnaires were sent to English sheep farms in order to investigate the prevalence of orf, determine vaccination efficacy and to identify some of the potential risk factors. The usable response rate was 25.4 per cent. The usable farms (N=762 in the years 2011 and 2012) were used to model the percentage of animals affected on the farm, and the probability of a farm being found with the disease. The disease prevalence (DP) was standardised for the year and calculated as 1.88 per cent for ewes and 19.53 per cent for lambs. The disease risk ratio (RR) for the use of the vaccine was calculated as 2.04 for ewes and 0.75 for lambs, and therefore, the study found that lamb vaccination was beneficial (RR <1). Weed infestation and an increased number of orphan lambs were associated with increased cases of orf. We ...
The Veterinary Nurse, 2014
ABSTRACT Aims: This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of epidemiological factors contrib... more ABSTRACT Aims: This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of epidemiological factors contributing to limb amputation in dogs. A survival analysis for limb amputees from cancerous causes was also performed. Methods: Data were collected in 2010 from 152 owners of amputee dogs. And a statistical analysis was performed to differentiate effects of gender, castration, age, breed, treatment and behaviour after surgery. A cox regression was also performed to analyse these same effects in survivability. Results: A larger proportion of amputee bitches than dogs are associated with cancer while a larger proportion of amputee dogs than bitches are associated with trauma; castrated/spayed dogs were diagnosed older than intact dogs; cancerous causes of amputation were diagnosed later in dogs' lives than traumatic causes; dogs showing an animal behaviour in the first week after amputation were diagnosed with cancer younger than dogs showing a vegetal/rock behaviour. Treatment by chemotherapy has a better survivability than holistic therapy, and patient receiving chemotherapy exhibit animal rather than vegetal/rock behaviour. Conclusion: The survival analysis gives clear indication of the benefits of chemotherapy over holistic treatments. Animal behaviour post surgery is also related to survivability.
Comparative Exercise Physiology, 2013
To date epidemiological reviews of fall risk in horse racing have applied a general approach to a... more To date epidemiological reviews of fall risk in horse racing have applied a general approach to analysis integrating different grades, type of race and various racetracks. This study aimed to investigate if increasing specificity in analysis (one course and type of race) would expose the same risk factors for horse falls. The purpose of the study was to apply the principles of epidemiology to predict factors that increase the risk of a horse falling in steeplechase races at Cheltenham racecourse. Relevant factors related to horse falls were identified and collated from the Racing Post website for all steeplechase races run at Cheltenham between 1990 and 2010. Subsequent uni- and multivariable single-level and mixed effects logistic regression models were developed using ‘fall’ or ‘no fall’ as the dependent variables. The chance of a steeplechase race containing a minimum of one horse fall at Cheltenham racecourse is increased by 22% for each additional runner in the field and reduce...
Comparative Exercise Physiology, 2012
Limited research has been conducted to investigate the risk factors associated with horses being ... more Limited research has been conducted to investigate the risk factors associated with horses being pulled up in steeplechase races. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with pulled up horses in steeplechase races at Cheltenham racecourse and utilise these to propose preventative strategies to reduce prospective risks of racehorses being pulled up in steeplechase races. Horse and racetrack factors that could be associated with an increased chance of horses being pulled up, extrapolated from previous research into racehorse falls and clinical injury, were identified and collated via the Racingpost website for all steeplechases (n=1,032) at Cheltenham for a 21 year period (January 1990 - December 2010). A logistic regression was used to model the probability of existence of pulled up horses in a given race. A negative binomial regression was used to model the number of pulled up horses in a given race. Increasing numbers of runners (P<0.001) starting a race an...
British Poultry Science, 2012
1. Black Australorp (BA), Rhode Island Red (RIR), and Hyblack (HB) birds were used in farm and fi... more 1. Black Australorp (BA), Rhode Island Red (RIR), and Hyblack (HB) birds were used in farm and field scavenging systems in Malawi, to study mortality through disease and predation in relation to laying performance. 2. Predation was higher in BA than HB. 3. Mortality through disease was higher in RIR than BA and HB. 4. Crossbred HB birds show the lowest combination of mortality and predation, suggesting a heterosis effect. 5. Mortality did not differ on farms and in field environments, suggesting an inability to improve biosecurity in farm conditions. 6. There was a positive relationship between eggshell strength and mortality. Calcium depletion from the birds&amp;#39; bones, limiting foraging and escaping ability may be the explanation, which ultimately increases susceptibility to disease and predation.
Resumo: De forma a investigar a prevalencia de diastemas abertos ou oclusos e a sua associacao co... more Resumo: De forma a investigar a prevalencia de diastemas abertos ou oclusos e a sua associacao com doencas periodontais, foram efectuadas examinacoes dentarias completas em dentes molares de 50 cadaveres de cabecas de cavalo. Diastemas abertos (mediana=2) apresentaram um maior grau de desenvolvimento de doencas periodontais (P<0.001) que diastemas oclusos (mediana=0); eguas (mediana=2) apresentaram mais elevado grau de desenvolvimento de doencas periodontais (P<0.01) que cavalos castrados (mediana=1); e dentes na mandibula (mediana=2) apresentaram mais elevado grau de desenvolvimento de doencas periodontais (P<0.001) que em maxilas (mediana=1). Uma regressao logistica foi ajustada aos dados recolhidos para modelar a probabilidade de diastemas abertos ou oclusos, que resultou num racio de “odds” (2.351) que favorece as eguas (em oposicao a cavalos castrados) no desenvolvimento de diastemas abertos (P<0.01); as maxilas (em oposicao a mandibulas) apresentam tambem “odds” fa...
Resumo: A mastite é a primeira causa de perdas económicas no sector leiteiro. A eficácia das vaci... more Resumo: A mastite é a primeira causa de perdas económicas no sector leiteiro. A eficácia das vacinas existentes contra a mastite é questionada por diversos autores. É o objectivo deste estudo, contribuir para o esclarecimento desta questão. Uma metanálise foi efectuada em 15 ensaios clínicos de campo, incluindo um total de 7941 vacas (4317 vacinadas e 3624 usadas como control). Um modelo de efeitos aliatórios foi ajustado com uma significância de P<0,01. A unidade considerada foi o rácio (entre vacas vacinadas e usadas como controlo) da razão entre vacas com mastite e normais. Este foi calculado como tendo um valor de 0,604 com um intervalo de confiança a 95% de [0,373; 0,979] depois da correcção do enviezamento de publicação. Conclui-se que a vacinação para o controlo de mastites traz alguns resultados positivos, mas a vantagem económica do seu uso depende do balanço entre custos e benefícios. Como tal, as medidas preventivas tradicionais continuam a desempenhar um papel fundamental no controlo da mastite; a vacina contra a mastite pode ser utilizada como um complemento no combate à mastite, mas não como um substituto de todas as outras medidas preventivas.
Animals, 2015
Oral health was assessed in different teeth of 41 cats of different ages and diets. It was found ... more Oral health was assessed in different teeth of 41 cats of different ages and diets. It was found that oral health in cats varies with the variables considered. Incisors of young or adult cats, fed a dry diet, had better health in comparison to cheek teeth of older cats fed a wet diet. It is argued that cats' oral health may be promoted with an early-age cheek teeth hygiene and provision of abrasive dry food.
Global Developments in …, Jan 1, 2006
This paper presents the accuracy assessment methodology designed and implemented to validate the ... more This paper presents the accuracy assessment methodology designed and implemented to validate the Portuguese CORINE Land Cover 2000 (CLC2000) cartography. The procedure is based on the comparison of the land cover database with reference data derived from visual interpretation of aerial photography for sample areas. The sample unit is the land cover polygon, organized within a systematic cluster sampling plan. Each cluster of polygons corresponds to an aerial photography, which allowed a reduction in the number of air photos that had to be acquired by maximizing the number of polygons to inspect in each photo. A multinomial distribution was used to estimate the number of samples. In this validation effort, we computed the overall accuracy, producer's accuracy, and user's accuracy. The CLC2000 for Portugal has an overall thematic accuracy of 82.8, with a confidence interval of 80.5-85.2, and that the majority of the CLC classes are mapped with high accuracy
Mastitis is the first cause of economic loss in the dairy sector. The efficacy of the existing va... more Mastitis is the first cause of economic loss in the dairy sector. The efficacy of the existing vaccines against mastitis is questioned by several authors. It is the aim of this paper to shed some light on this question. A meta-analysis was conducted on 15 field research trials, which included a total of 7941 cows (4317 vaccinated and 3624 used as control). A random-effects model was adjusted and found significant (P<0,01). The unit used was the rate ratio between vaccinated cows and controls and was found to have a value of 0,604 with a 95% confidence interval of [0,373; 0,979], after correction for publication bias. It was concluded that vaccination to control mastitis has a slight advantage, but the economics of its use depends on the weighting between its cost and its benefit, and therefore traditional preventive measures still have an important role to play; Mastitis vaccines can be used as a complement of all the other preventive measures but not as a substitute of these.
The life cycle of most parasitic helminthes is related to their hosts feeding habits. Thus we nee... more The life cycle of most parasitic helminthes is related to their hosts feeding habits. Thus we need to investigate the impact of diet on the host's helminthic parasite burden. Not many studies in captive raptors have been conducted and published regarding parasitic infections. The aim of this study is to evaluate the helminthic burden of raptors kept in captivity and establish a relationship with the feed provided. A total of N = 51 different species of captive birds of prey were fed different diets consisting in different combinations of day old chicks, chicken breast, whole chicken carcass and mice. Their feces were sampled and the parasite burden was determined. A negative binomial model was successfully fitted to the data and the feeds “mice” (P < 0.001) and “whole chicken carcass” (P < 0.001) significantly contributed to an increase in the observed burden. Significant differences were also found between species (P < 0.001). Raptors fed adult animal carcasses and offal may explain the increase in the observed burden as these feeds have a larger probability of being contaminated by a larger variety of helminthic fauna. Zoo Biol. 32:652–654, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research
Inadequate research exists to justify the choice of dental tools used in equine prophylactic dent... more Inadequate research exists to justify the choice of dental tools used in equine prophylactic dentistry; usage is unregulated, with choice usually based on the practitioner's preference. Dental procedures could cause stress (through handling or equipment used), as they are potentially painful if contact is made with soft-tissues. Anecdotally adverse reactions are documented and differ when comparing manual with motorized rasping, particularly during rasping the lower arcade. The study aimed to investigate these claims.
A total of n=159 Lusitano mares and n=309 reproductive cycles were analysed to model follicle siz... more A total of n=159 Lusitano mares and n=309 reproductive cycles were analysed to model follicle sizes at the time of ovulation and reproductive success in dependency of several variables. Uterine oedema was found to correlate positively with probability of successful pregnancy (p<0.05). Follicle sizes at the time of ovulation are affected by treatment with hCG (p<0.05), with lower sizes found for treated mares. Follicle size at the time of ovulation correlates negatively with the mares’ age (p<0.05) (Pearson’s r = -0.168). This has implications for the way we monitor follicular growth and intervene in breeding, specific to the Lusitano breed, to accurately time artificial insemination.
To date epidemiological reviews of fall risk in horse racing have applied a general approach to a... more To date epidemiological reviews of fall risk in horse racing have applied a general approach to analysis integrating different grades, type of race and various racetracks. This study aimed to investigate if increasing specificity in analysis (one course and type of race) would expose the same risk factors for horse falls. The purpose of the study was to apply the principles of epidemiology to predict factors that increase the risk of a horse falling in steeplechase races at Cheltenham racecourse. Relevant factors related to horse falls were identified and collated from the Racing Post website for all steeplechase races run at Cheltenham between 1990 and 2010. Subsequent uni- and multivariable single-level and mixed effects logistic regression models were developed using ‘fall’ or ‘no fall’ as the dependent variables. The chance of a steeplechase race containing a minimum of one horse fall at Cheltenham racecourse is increased by 22% for each additional runner in the field and reduced by 86% for every horse that is pulled up during the race. Going and speed were not significantly associated with horse falls. Retrospective analysis of fall risk for a specific race type and course has exposed different risk factors than those previously found in generalised studies. Analysing specific racetracks has the potential to more effectively underpin the development and assessment of racecourse strategies to reduce fall risk to promote equine welfare.
Animal Biodiversity and Conservation
Arid environments suffer anthropogenic interference causing habitat degradation. This degradation... more Arid environments suffer anthropogenic interference causing habitat degradation. This degradation can influence animal populations. We randomly captured a total of 198 lesser jerboas Jaculus jaculus in three seasons (autumn, spring and summer) in two relatively close areas (intact and degraded). All animals were sexed, and weight, body and tail length, and thigh thickness were taken. We found significant differences in weight (p < 0.001), which was lower in summer (p < 0.05) when fewer food resources were available. Thigh thickness was greater in the intact habitat (p < 0.01), explained by the greater amount of food resources and also by the higher numbers of predators in this area, prompting escape behaviour. Females in the intact area were heavier and had longer bodies and tails. This was related to greater availability of time for mothers to search for food in this area.
Animal Biodiversity and Conservation
Data concerning 212 turtles emerging on the southwest beaches of Mahe Island in the Seychelles we... more Data concerning 212 turtles emerging on the southwest beaches of Mahe Island in the Seychelles were collected in 2017 and 2018. These data were used to model the probability of eggs being laid in relation to several variables. The probability of successful laying after emergence was highest on certain beaches and in areas of short vegetation, between open sand and trees. We found successful laying was related to the physical properties of the soil, indicating that survivability of embryos and hatchlings is higher in certain areas. The turtles appeared to choose zones where soil had low salinity, good drainage but ability to retain water, and absence of spring tides and extreme temperatures.
The Veterinary record, Jan 4, 2014
Orf is a viral disease found in English sheep flocks which can cause economic losses. It is a zoo... more Orf is a viral disease found in English sheep flocks which can cause economic losses. It is a zoonosis with little epidemiological research available in the UK. In 2012, 3000 questionnaires were sent to English sheep farms in order to investigate the prevalence of orf, determine vaccination efficacy and to identify some of the potential risk factors. The usable response rate was 25.4 per cent. The usable farms (N=762 in the years 2011 and 2012) were used to model the percentage of animals affected on the farm, and the probability of a farm being found with the disease. The disease prevalence (DP) was standardised for the year and calculated as 1.88 per cent for ewes and 19.53 per cent for lambs. The disease risk ratio (RR) for the use of the vaccine was calculated as 2.04 for ewes and 0.75 for lambs, and therefore, the study found that lamb vaccination was beneficial (RR <1). Weed infestation and an increased number of orphan lambs were associated with increased cases of orf. We ...
The Veterinary Nurse, 2014
ABSTRACT Aims: This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of epidemiological factors contrib... more ABSTRACT Aims: This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of epidemiological factors contributing to limb amputation in dogs. A survival analysis for limb amputees from cancerous causes was also performed. Methods: Data were collected in 2010 from 152 owners of amputee dogs. And a statistical analysis was performed to differentiate effects of gender, castration, age, breed, treatment and behaviour after surgery. A cox regression was also performed to analyse these same effects in survivability. Results: A larger proportion of amputee bitches than dogs are associated with cancer while a larger proportion of amputee dogs than bitches are associated with trauma; castrated/spayed dogs were diagnosed older than intact dogs; cancerous causes of amputation were diagnosed later in dogs' lives than traumatic causes; dogs showing an animal behaviour in the first week after amputation were diagnosed with cancer younger than dogs showing a vegetal/rock behaviour. Treatment by chemotherapy has a better survivability than holistic therapy, and patient receiving chemotherapy exhibit animal rather than vegetal/rock behaviour. Conclusion: The survival analysis gives clear indication of the benefits of chemotherapy over holistic treatments. Animal behaviour post surgery is also related to survivability.
Comparative Exercise Physiology, 2013
To date epidemiological reviews of fall risk in horse racing have applied a general approach to a... more To date epidemiological reviews of fall risk in horse racing have applied a general approach to analysis integrating different grades, type of race and various racetracks. This study aimed to investigate if increasing specificity in analysis (one course and type of race) would expose the same risk factors for horse falls. The purpose of the study was to apply the principles of epidemiology to predict factors that increase the risk of a horse falling in steeplechase races at Cheltenham racecourse. Relevant factors related to horse falls were identified and collated from the Racing Post website for all steeplechase races run at Cheltenham between 1990 and 2010. Subsequent uni- and multivariable single-level and mixed effects logistic regression models were developed using ‘fall’ or ‘no fall’ as the dependent variables. The chance of a steeplechase race containing a minimum of one horse fall at Cheltenham racecourse is increased by 22% for each additional runner in the field and reduce...
Comparative Exercise Physiology, 2012
Limited research has been conducted to investigate the risk factors associated with horses being ... more Limited research has been conducted to investigate the risk factors associated with horses being pulled up in steeplechase races. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with pulled up horses in steeplechase races at Cheltenham racecourse and utilise these to propose preventative strategies to reduce prospective risks of racehorses being pulled up in steeplechase races. Horse and racetrack factors that could be associated with an increased chance of horses being pulled up, extrapolated from previous research into racehorse falls and clinical injury, were identified and collated via the Racingpost website for all steeplechases (n=1,032) at Cheltenham for a 21 year period (January 1990 - December 2010). A logistic regression was used to model the probability of existence of pulled up horses in a given race. A negative binomial regression was used to model the number of pulled up horses in a given race. Increasing numbers of runners (P<0.001) starting a race an...
British Poultry Science, 2012
1. Black Australorp (BA), Rhode Island Red (RIR), and Hyblack (HB) birds were used in farm and fi... more 1. Black Australorp (BA), Rhode Island Red (RIR), and Hyblack (HB) birds were used in farm and field scavenging systems in Malawi, to study mortality through disease and predation in relation to laying performance. 2. Predation was higher in BA than HB. 3. Mortality through disease was higher in RIR than BA and HB. 4. Crossbred HB birds show the lowest combination of mortality and predation, suggesting a heterosis effect. 5. Mortality did not differ on farms and in field environments, suggesting an inability to improve biosecurity in farm conditions. 6. There was a positive relationship between eggshell strength and mortality. Calcium depletion from the birds&amp;#39; bones, limiting foraging and escaping ability may be the explanation, which ultimately increases susceptibility to disease and predation.
Resumo: De forma a investigar a prevalencia de diastemas abertos ou oclusos e a sua associacao co... more Resumo: De forma a investigar a prevalencia de diastemas abertos ou oclusos e a sua associacao com doencas periodontais, foram efectuadas examinacoes dentarias completas em dentes molares de 50 cadaveres de cabecas de cavalo. Diastemas abertos (mediana=2) apresentaram um maior grau de desenvolvimento de doencas periodontais (P<0.001) que diastemas oclusos (mediana=0); eguas (mediana=2) apresentaram mais elevado grau de desenvolvimento de doencas periodontais (P<0.01) que cavalos castrados (mediana=1); e dentes na mandibula (mediana=2) apresentaram mais elevado grau de desenvolvimento de doencas periodontais (P<0.001) que em maxilas (mediana=1). Uma regressao logistica foi ajustada aos dados recolhidos para modelar a probabilidade de diastemas abertos ou oclusos, que resultou num racio de “odds” (2.351) que favorece as eguas (em oposicao a cavalos castrados) no desenvolvimento de diastemas abertos (P<0.01); as maxilas (em oposicao a mandibulas) apresentam tambem “odds” fa...
Resumo: A mastite é a primeira causa de perdas económicas no sector leiteiro. A eficácia das vaci... more Resumo: A mastite é a primeira causa de perdas económicas no sector leiteiro. A eficácia das vacinas existentes contra a mastite é questionada por diversos autores. É o objectivo deste estudo, contribuir para o esclarecimento desta questão. Uma metanálise foi efectuada em 15 ensaios clínicos de campo, incluindo um total de 7941 vacas (4317 vacinadas e 3624 usadas como control). Um modelo de efeitos aliatórios foi ajustado com uma significância de P<0,01. A unidade considerada foi o rácio (entre vacas vacinadas e usadas como controlo) da razão entre vacas com mastite e normais. Este foi calculado como tendo um valor de 0,604 com um intervalo de confiança a 95% de [0,373; 0,979] depois da correcção do enviezamento de publicação. Conclui-se que a vacinação para o controlo de mastites traz alguns resultados positivos, mas a vantagem económica do seu uso depende do balanço entre custos e benefícios. Como tal, as medidas preventivas tradicionais continuam a desempenhar um papel fundamental no controlo da mastite; a vacina contra a mastite pode ser utilizada como um complemento no combate à mastite, mas não como um substituto de todas as outras medidas preventivas.
Animals, 2015
Oral health was assessed in different teeth of 41 cats of different ages and diets. It was found ... more Oral health was assessed in different teeth of 41 cats of different ages and diets. It was found that oral health in cats varies with the variables considered. Incisors of young or adult cats, fed a dry diet, had better health in comparison to cheek teeth of older cats fed a wet diet. It is argued that cats' oral health may be promoted with an early-age cheek teeth hygiene and provision of abrasive dry food.
Global Developments in …, Jan 1, 2006
This paper presents the accuracy assessment methodology designed and implemented to validate the ... more This paper presents the accuracy assessment methodology designed and implemented to validate the Portuguese CORINE Land Cover 2000 (CLC2000) cartography. The procedure is based on the comparison of the land cover database with reference data derived from visual interpretation of aerial photography for sample areas. The sample unit is the land cover polygon, organized within a systematic cluster sampling plan. Each cluster of polygons corresponds to an aerial photography, which allowed a reduction in the number of air photos that had to be acquired by maximizing the number of polygons to inspect in each photo. A multinomial distribution was used to estimate the number of samples. In this validation effort, we computed the overall accuracy, producer's accuracy, and user's accuracy. The CLC2000 for Portugal has an overall thematic accuracy of 82.8, with a confidence interval of 80.5-85.2, and that the majority of the CLC classes are mapped with high accuracy
Mastitis is the first cause of economic loss in the dairy sector. The efficacy of the existing va... more Mastitis is the first cause of economic loss in the dairy sector. The efficacy of the existing vaccines against mastitis is questioned by several authors. It is the aim of this paper to shed some light on this question. A meta-analysis was conducted on 15 field research trials, which included a total of 7941 cows (4317 vaccinated and 3624 used as control). A random-effects model was adjusted and found significant (P<0,01). The unit used was the rate ratio between vaccinated cows and controls and was found to have a value of 0,604 with a 95% confidence interval of [0,373; 0,979], after correction for publication bias. It was concluded that vaccination to control mastitis has a slight advantage, but the economics of its use depends on the weighting between its cost and its benefit, and therefore traditional preventive measures still have an important role to play; Mastitis vaccines can be used as a complement of all the other preventive measures but not as a substitute of these.
The life cycle of most parasitic helminthes is related to their hosts feeding habits. Thus we nee... more The life cycle of most parasitic helminthes is related to their hosts feeding habits. Thus we need to investigate the impact of diet on the host's helminthic parasite burden. Not many studies in captive raptors have been conducted and published regarding parasitic infections. The aim of this study is to evaluate the helminthic burden of raptors kept in captivity and establish a relationship with the feed provided. A total of N = 51 different species of captive birds of prey were fed different diets consisting in different combinations of day old chicks, chicken breast, whole chicken carcass and mice. Their feces were sampled and the parasite burden was determined. A negative binomial model was successfully fitted to the data and the feeds “mice” (P < 0.001) and “whole chicken carcass” (P < 0.001) significantly contributed to an increase in the observed burden. Significant differences were also found between species (P < 0.001). Raptors fed adult animal carcasses and offal may explain the increase in the observed burden as these feeds have a larger probability of being contaminated by a larger variety of helminthic fauna. Zoo Biol. 32:652–654, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research
Inadequate research exists to justify the choice of dental tools used in equine prophylactic dent... more Inadequate research exists to justify the choice of dental tools used in equine prophylactic dentistry; usage is unregulated, with choice usually based on the practitioner's preference. Dental procedures could cause stress (through handling or equipment used), as they are potentially painful if contact is made with soft-tissues. Anecdotally adverse reactions are documented and differ when comparing manual with motorized rasping, particularly during rasping the lower arcade. The study aimed to investigate these claims.
A total of n=159 Lusitano mares and n=309 reproductive cycles were analysed to model follicle siz... more A total of n=159 Lusitano mares and n=309 reproductive cycles were analysed to model follicle sizes at the time of ovulation and reproductive success in dependency of several variables. Uterine oedema was found to correlate positively with probability of successful pregnancy (p<0.05). Follicle sizes at the time of ovulation are affected by treatment with hCG (p<0.05), with lower sizes found for treated mares. Follicle size at the time of ovulation correlates negatively with the mares’ age (p<0.05) (Pearson’s r = -0.168). This has implications for the way we monitor follicular growth and intervene in breeding, specific to the Lusitano breed, to accurately time artificial insemination.
To date epidemiological reviews of fall risk in horse racing have applied a general approach to a... more To date epidemiological reviews of fall risk in horse racing have applied a general approach to analysis integrating different grades, type of race and various racetracks. This study aimed to investigate if increasing specificity in analysis (one course and type of race) would expose the same risk factors for horse falls. The purpose of the study was to apply the principles of epidemiology to predict factors that increase the risk of a horse falling in steeplechase races at Cheltenham racecourse. Relevant factors related to horse falls were identified and collated from the Racing Post website for all steeplechase races run at Cheltenham between 1990 and 2010. Subsequent uni- and multivariable single-level and mixed effects logistic regression models were developed using ‘fall’ or ‘no fall’ as the dependent variables. The chance of a steeplechase race containing a minimum of one horse fall at Cheltenham racecourse is increased by 22% for each additional runner in the field and reduced by 86% for every horse that is pulled up during the race. Going and speed were not significantly associated with horse falls. Retrospective analysis of fall risk for a specific race type and course has exposed different risk factors than those previously found in generalised studies. Analysing specific racetracks has the potential to more effectively underpin the development and assessment of racecourse strategies to reduce fall risk to promote equine welfare.