Search

The overall aim of the present thesis was to improve the welfare of animals in research by refining the perioperative nursing and anaesthesia care of growing pigs in accordance with the 3Rs, replace, reduce and refine. Forty-six pigs were trained during a 14-day acclimatisation period to accept blood and urine sampling and ultrasound examination. A polymer coated catheter for repeated blood sampling from the jugular vein was assessed. The effects of zolazepam-tiletamine and medetomidine (ZTMe) was compared with midazolam, ketamine and fentanyl (MiKF) regarding the quality of induction and physiological variables in a subsequent total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with MiKF. A combination of zolazepam-tiletamine, dexmedetomidine and butorphanol (ZTDeB) intended for short-term anaesthesia was evaluated and physiological responses and drug plasma concentrations were examined. An artificial intelligence (AI) technology based on image vision was adapted for monitoring of the activity prior to anaesthesia and post-anaesthesia during treatment with transdermal fentanyl or buprenorphine injections. Facial expression was scored and plasma concentrations of the drugs were analysed. The training enabled blood and urine sampling and ultrasound examination without restraints. It was possible to collect blood from the catheters for up to ten days. ZTMe had better results than MiKF in areas such as shorter induction time, better intubation scoring results and less adjustment and amount of TIVA required for up to six hours of TIVA. ZTDeB provided two hours of anaesthesia with stable physiological variables and spontaneous breathing. The plasma concentration profile of the drugs was in line with the duration of the effect. Measurement of activity in pigs with the AI technique was encouraging. Both opioids, at the doses used, resulted in plasma concentrations above the suggested therapeutic levels. Assessment of facial expressions was time consuming and several factors influenced the result. In summary, the results showed that nursing interventions, adjustment of anaesthesia techniques and the use of AI technology for the measurement of activity can contribute to stress-free handling and improved animal welfare in growing pigs according to the 3Rs.

Background Endoscopic examinations are essential for diagnosis and treatment of strangles (S equi infection) in horses. However, even after disinfection, endoscopes may retain viable bacteria or bacterial DNA. Twitches are commonly used during endoscopic examinations and can thus also potentially transmit the organism to other horses.Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of different disinfectant methods to eliminate S equi from experimentally contaminated endoscopes and twitches and the effectiveness of field disinfection of endoscopes used in sampling carriers of S equi.Study design Experimental contamination and observational field study.Methods One endoscope and 30 twitches were contaminated with standardised S equi broth solutions. The endoscope was disinfected following three protocols using various disinfectants for manual disinfection. A fourth protocol used an automated endoscope reprocessor (AER). The twitches (n = 30) were disinfected following eight different disinfecting protocols. Three endoscopes used in sampling for silent carriers were disinfected following a field-based protocol. After each protocol the endoscopes and twitches were sampled for S equi by culture and qPCR.Results Following experimental contamination all endoscope disinfection protocols, apart from 1/6 of the ethanol protocol were S equi culture negative. However, no endoscope disinfection protocol completely eliminated retention of S equi DNA. Field disinfection of endoscopes after sampling carriers yielded no culture positives and all but one (13/14) were qPCR negative. All twitches disinfected following experimental contamination were culture negative but sodium hypochlorite was the only disinfectant that completely eliminated detection of S equi DNA.Main limitations Experimental contamination may not reflect the numbers of S equi transferred to endoscopes or twitches during use on silent carriers and purulent secretions from infected horses may influence survival of S equi.Conclusions While most disinfection methods appear to ensure removal of cultivable S equi, residual DNA can remain on both endoscopes and twitches.