Perceptions of animal welfare among dairy technical advisors reveal a complex interaction between knowledge, ethical values, and practical realities, often shaped by cognitive dissonance described as the psychological discomfort that arises when beliefs and behaviors conflict. This study aimed to explore how Brazilian advisors conceptualize animal welfare and how this is reflected in the management practices they recommend to farmers. Two hundred seventy-two participants answered two open-ended questions through an online questionnaire. Answers were analyzed to identify both the perceived key elements for promoting welfare and the practices most frequently recommended to achieve it. Responses indicated that advisors view welfare as a multidimensional concept aligned with the Five Domains model that includes nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state. However, when asked about the practices they recommend, the focus shifted toward more operational actions including improving facilities, hygiene, and feeding systems rather than promoting opportunities for natural behaviors or affective state. This divergence between what is valued and what is practiced may reflect an underlying cognitive dissonance, i.e., advisors acknowledge the significance of animal welfare but must operate within economic system and cultural constraints that limit the implementation of these ideals. To reduce this dissonance, individuals may unconsciously justify compromises, reframing welfare as compatible with existing production goals. This tension between beliefs and professional practice reflects a broader social pattern, in which people’s affection for animals coexists with their use for human purposes. Recognizing this dissonance is crucial for transforming awareness into action, encouraging reflective dialogue, and continuous education, and it can help advisors align their welfare beliefs with consistent on-farm practices, promoting more compassionate and sustainable dairy systems.

Egg retention is a common reproductive disorder in birds characterized by the failure of an egg to pass through the oviduct within the expected period, leading to various clinical signs and complications. Egg retention is a prevalent yet underrepresented pathological reproductive disorder in waterfowl species, particularly within Anseriformes, with limited scientific literature addressing its pathophysiology and management. This case study describes a Toulouse goose (Anser anser domesticus) experiencing prolonged difficulty in laying an abnormall egg, leading to severe clinical complications. Over 17 days, the bird underwent comprehensive evaluation. The results described refer to the patient's return after an initial procedure of ovocentesis, in which the eggshells were not expelled. Subsequently, the bird returned presenting a serious condition and a second procedure was performed including physical exams, radiography (egg fracture and increased caudoventral volume relative to the coelomic cavity, secondary to an inflammatory process), ultrasonography (liquid content in the oviduct and structures consistent with eggshells), and blood tests showing significant leukocytosis, revealing monocytosis with 13.889 cells/mm3 (150 - 2000 cells/mm3), heterophilia with 50.654 cells/mm3 ( 3000-17.300 cells/mm3) and lymphocytes within the upper limit 17.157 cells/mm3 (7000-17.500 cells/mm3), indicating a serious inflammatory process. Despite medical interventions including fluid therapy, analgesia, antibiotic therapy, ovocentesis, oviduct disobstruction, the condition progressed, culminating in severe inflammation (peritonitis and celomitis) and death. This study highlights the critical importance of timely diagnosis and comprehensive management of egg retention and dystocia in waterfowl, while emphasizing significant diagnostic challenges and therapeutic limitations. The scarcity of detailed literature on egg retention in Anseriformes further impedes effective diagnosis and treatment, reinforcing the need for further studies and focused research. Moreover, the report identifies potential complications, including follicular rupture in post-mortem findings and secondary infections, reinforcing the necessity for specialized veterinary expertise to optimize outcomes in avian reproductive disorders.

Adenocarcinomas involving ocular structures in birds are exceptionally rare and scarcely documented in the literature. This report details the first documented case of a low-grade adenocarcinoma originating from the palpebral conjunctiva and third eyelid in a Columba livia (pigeon). An adult pigeon was referred for specialized veterinary evaluation due to a progressively enlarging, slow-growing mass located in the periocular region of the left eye. Clinically, the tumor presented as a bilobed, pendulous mass with a soft consistency and a reddish, verrucous surface. The lesion appeared moist, with fluid exudation resulting in feather matting on the face and neck. Surgical excision of the mass was performed, and the tissue was preserved in 10% neutral-buffered formalin for histopathological evaluation. Preoperative fasting lasted at least three hours. The pre-anesthetic protocol included intramuscular Meloxicam 0.2% at 0.07 mg/kg, administered using a 26G insulin syringe. Anesthesia induction used isoflurane gas via mask at 3%–5%, then maintained at 1.5%–3.0%. After reaching adequate anesthetic depth, the mask was removed, and the patient was intubated with a size 2 cuffless endotracheal tube. The pigeon was positioned in dorsal recumbency, wrapped in aluminum foil, and placed on a USB-powered heating pad. A pulse oximeter monitored oxygen saturation on the left pelvic limb. The surgical site was aseptically prepared with iodinated alcohol. Lidocaine was infiltrated locally before incision. The tumor was excised with a scalpel following hemostatic clamping, and safety sutures were placed using nylon 5.0 thread. Intraoperatively, 4 mL of warmed lactated Ringer’s solution was administered subcutaneously, alongside enrofloxacin 2.5% (0.28 mL), dexamethasone (0.2 mL), and vitamin K (0.2 mL). Histopathology confirmed a low-grade adenocarcinoma of the palpebral conjunctiva/third eyelid.

Foreign body ingestion (FBI) is well-documented in domestic animals but less frequently reported in wildlife, particularly amphibians, due to diagnostic challenges and underreporting. FBI-reported cases in Rhinella toads are especially rare, with limited documentation in the scientific literature. This case report describes an adult female Rhinella sp. toad (800 g) kept as a pet in a backyard with an artificial pond. It was occasionally fed meat and mealworms and had free outdoor access. The owner reported that the patient had recently become anorexic and lethargic. Clinical evaluation showed no abnormalities, but a ventrodorsal radiograph revealed a suspected gastric foreign body. An emergency exploratory laparotomy was recommended, with the owner consenting to the surgery the following day. However, on the morning of the scheduled procedure, the owner reported that the patient had passed away. Upon necropsy, the presence of an aluminum foil lid from a yogurt container was revealed inside the stomach. The lid had perforated the gastrointestinal tract, leading to free fluid accumulation in the coelomic cavity and signs of peritoneal inflammation. Rhinella toads are endemic to Brazil, serving a vital function in environmental conservation. Although they are not commonly kept as pets, those with access to outdoor spaces may be at risk of ingesting litter. This case report highlights the importance of responsible waste management, as improper trash disposal can pose serious health risks not only to domestic animals but also to local wildlife. Improved awareness and preventive measures are essential to mitigate the risks associated with environmental contamination.

Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a widely distributed alphaherpesvirus that causes respiratory disease, abortion, neonatal death, and myeloencephalopathy in horses, with significant economic impact. Outbreaks such as Ogden (USA, 2011) and the international 2021 outbreak originating in Valencia (Spain) have demonstrated the virus’s potential for rapid dissemination. This study aimed to compile and compare molecular surveillance publications from 2020 to 2025 to identify, by region, the main circulating EHV-1 strains, lineages, and genotypes. Searches were conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases using terms related to equine herpesvirus 1, genotyping, and molecular characterization, covering the period from January 2020 to October 2025. The quality of observational studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist, and data were organized and described in Microsoft Excel.

The review showed that EHV-1 circulation is global, intense, and genetically heterogeneous. Classical genotypes N752 (A2254) and D752 (G2254) remain predominant, but an emerging genotype, H752 (C2254), was identified in outbreaks in France (2020) and the USA (2021), associated with respiratory and neurological signs and potentially undetected by assays that only distinguish between N/D752. Regional variation was observed: in China, abortion cases were 100% D752; in Europe, the 2021 Valencia outbreak occurred without the classical neuropathogenic marker; and Swedish series revealed multiple genovariants, reflecting international horse movement. In South American and North African countries, high prevalence and co-circulation with EHV-4, EHV-2, and EHV-5 were reported, including in environmental samples.

Thus, it is evident that the D752 marker alone is insufficient to define neuropathogenicity, and the emergence of H752 requires the sequencing of multiple ORFs or complete genomes, confirming the globalized circulation of EHV-1 facilitated by equine movement.

Effective environmental monitoring within livestock facilities is fundamental for ensuring optimal animal welfare, promoting farm worker safety, and demonstrating environmental stewardship. Airborne pollutants, such as ammonia, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide can negatively impact animal health, welfare, productivity, the working conditions of staff, and the environmental sustainability of the farming operation. In addition, the precise and continuous evaluation of thermal conditions in livestock buildings is becoming an essential management duty, as climate change-related impacts can severely compromise whole-farm efficiency.

Traditionally, the comprehensive assessment of in-barn environmental conditions has required the deployment of multiple, often non-integrated devices, complicating data collection and analysis. As part of three EU-funded projects, such as LivestockSense (https://livestocksense.eu/), aWISH (https://www.awish-project.eu/), and ET4D (https://www.et4d.eu/), a number of integrated environmental monitoring systems or Enviro-Detect units (ED; PLF Agritech, Brisbane, Australia) were deployed in commercial pig, poultry, and cattle buildings in Estonia, Israel, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Spain, and Sweden to evaluate (1) the capacity of a single platform to continuously track a suite of critical environmental parameters under commercial conditions, (2) the practical feasibility of such technology in real-world farm settings, and (3) the utility of these measurements for assessing animal health, welfare, and production efficiency.

The ED systems were installed in the above-mentioned countries between 2021 and 2026, with weekly environmental reports delivered to farm management. Comparative analysis with data from these pig, poultry, and dairy buildings were undertaken and the results will be presnted during this conference. The findings showcased the ED system’s ability to deliver actionable, real-time data on barn climate and pollutant levels, empowering farm managers to rapidly respond to suboptimal conditions and optimize production efficiency.

The “gut–muscle axis” is an emerging concept that describes how intestinal microbiota influence skeletal muscle biology, especially energy metabolism. This biological communication is crucial for muscle development and directly affects meat production traits. Although the gut microbiota is known to modulate host metabolism, the specific molecular mechanisms by which diet shapes the gut–muscle axis are not well defined. This study aimed to use a network-based approach to dissect how dietary lipid sources—canola (CO) vs. soybean (SO) oil—can modulate the interaction between cecal microbiota and muscle transcriptome in pigs. Longissimus lumborum muscle (RNAseq) and cecal content (16S rRNA sequencing) samples were collected from 32 pigs fed diets supplemented with either 3% CO (N = 14) or 3% SO (N = 18). An analysis of the cecal microbiota yielded 447 core amplicon sequence variants (ASVs, 50% prevalence) but revealed no differences in community diversity between diets. In contrast, the muscle gene expression was distinctly clustered by diet. This prompted a diet-specific Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to map interactions with the 19 most abundant (> 1% mean abundance) cecal genera. WGCNA yielded 41 gene modules for CO and 27 for SO. We found four relevant modules (|r|>0.7, p<0.01) for CO, positively correlated with the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group and Leyella and negatively correlated with Akkermansia, Terrisporobacter, and Romboutsia. In the SO group, the two relevant modules were positively correlated with Prevotellaceae UCG-003 and Terrisporobacter. Our findings demonstrate that dietary fat sources reshape functional communication rather than the composition of the gut–muscle axis. The opposing association of Terrisporobacter, a genus linked to SCFA production, oxidative stress, and immunity, suggests that the fat source can influence metabolic and immune signaling in muscle. This integrative framework offers a powerful tool for the sustainable development of targeted nutritional strategies to enhance muscle development and pork quality.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the thermal environment, body weight, and hours on the water intake of Caracu young bulls raised in a tropical region. Forty-six animals (mean±SD: 247±230 days old; 226±35 kg body weight) participated in a Feed Efficiency Test over 68 days (June–September 2024) in Sertãozinho, Brazil. Hourly individual water intake (L) and daily body weight (BW, kg) were recorded using electronic water troughs (Intergado^®). Hourly environmental data were obtained from NASA-POWER, and the 3-hour moving average of the Black Globe Humidity Index (BGHI) was calculated. Data were analyzed using a Generalized Additive Mixed Model (GAMM), including smooth terms for BGHI and BW, hour (24 h) as a fixed effect, and a random intercept for animal, using REML. BGHI had a non-linear effect (p<0.05), with two inflection points (71 and 76.7). Up to BGHI 71, water intake increased (+0.105 L/ BGHI unit); between 71.1 and 76.7, there was a reduction (–0.041 L/ BGHI unit); and above 76.7, intake increased again (+0.0128 L/ BGHI unit). The model also showed a diurnal pattern in water intake, with low consumption during the night and early morning (hours 0–4; p>0.05). Intake rose around 5 h (+0.43 L; p = 0.018) and reached its highest levels between 8 h and 11 h (+1.6 to +2.1 L; p<0.001). In the afternoon, consumption gradually declined and returned to baseline by late afternoon (12 h–17 h; p<0.01). A secondary increase occurred at 22 h (+0.27 L; p=0.045). BW influenced (p<0.001) water intake; for each additional kilogram, it increased by 0.018 L. Overall, these findings show that thermal environment drives water intake. Although individual increases may seem small, when multiplied across many animals over several days under heat stress, they can reduce water-use efficiency in the system. This reinforces the need for management practices that reduce heat load and ensure adequate water availability in tropical production systems.

Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential approximately 84-86 times higher than carbon dioxide (CO₂) over a 20-year period. Reducing CH₄ emissions is essential to achieving the EU’s climate neutrality goals under the European Green Deal and the EU Methane Strategy. Ruminant livestock are responsible for up to 90% of agricultural CH₄ through enteric fermentation. With the global population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, growing food demand will further intensify emissions, underscoring the urgent need for scalable, sustainable mitigation technologies.

Current CH₄ reduction approaches include feed additives, dietary manipulation, vaccination, and microbial inhibitors. However, these methods often suffer from limited efficacy, short duration of action, high cost, or the need for frequent supplementation, making them impractical for large-scale adoption. To overcome these limitations, this project proposes the development of a polymer-based sustained-release formulation that continuously delivers a natural, long-acting, CH₄-reducing compound in the rumen.

Mustard oil, produced from mustard cake, a common high-protein feed for animals, contains natural compounds like allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), known for their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. This project aims to develop a sustained-release formulation using mustard oil and biodegradable polymers to help reduce CH₄ emissions from ruminant animals. After assessing AITC’s properties and antibacterial activity, it was blended with five biodegradable polymers of both synthetic (PCL, PEO) and natural (PHB, PLA, Chitosan) origin by solvent casting. FTIR and DSC analyses showed clear miscibility of AITC with PCL and PHB, without new or shifted peaks, and compatible thermal behaviour, further supported by SEM images confirming uniform dispersion within these polymer matrices. Antimicrobial assays using both Gram-positive and Gram-negative rumen bacteria also produced promising results, highlighting that PCL and PHB are the most suitable biodegradable polymers to act as matrix materials for incorporating AITC to formulate a sustained-release formulation for CH₄ mitigation.

The current study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Laser Methane Detector (LMD) compared to the GreenFeed (GF) system for measuring methane emissions in goats. It employed two analytical frameworks to analyze agreement: continuous agreement of paired readings and diagnostic accuracy at a designated clinical limit of 13 g/day, using a significance level of α = 0.05. The study involved 45 Spanish Boer goats aged 4–6 months, with methane levels measured over 14 days. Goats had free access to the GreenFeed unit, and readings were taken using the LMD, directed at the nostrils for one minute at a fixed distance. The results showed that the accuracy was 47.6% (95% CI 39.7–55.5%), the no-information rate was 59.1%, and p (Acc > NIR) = 0.9989, meaning it was not better than guessing the majority class. The sensitivity was 34.0% (missed ~2/3 of GF positives) and the specificity was 67.2% (moderate ability to correctly call negatives). Similarly, the PPV/NPV was 60.0%/41.3%, respectively, with balanced accuracy of 50.6%. In terms of the agreement, Kappa was 0.011—essentially indicating no agreement beyond chance. McNemar’s test indicated that p = 9.82×10⁻⁶, with many more false negatives (64) than false positives (22); this means that the LMD systematically under-calls positives at this threshold. The experiment concluded that the LMDr’s diagnostic performance against GF is insufficient for stand-alone use at the current threshold (AUC≈0.54; sensitivity≈0.34; κ≈0.01). Finally, there was no clear correspondence between GF and LMD device measurements. Given the under-calling of positives and near-chance discrimination, the LMD should not replace GF without recalibration and threshold optimization.