In a dairy herd of Thuringian Forest goats, a male goat kid of around three weeks of age was detected with skin lesions, particularly on the distal limbs, chest and ears. These skin lesions were characterized by alopecia, pus-filled blisters, incrustations and erosions. The goat kid was referred to the clinic for treatment but had to be euthanized despite intensive treatment due to increasing deterioration in its general condition and was subsequently referred to necropsy. Histologic investigation of the altered areas of skin and mucosa revealed a separation of epithelium from the underlying dermis and/or lamina propria at the level below the basement membrane. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the localization of the subepidermal cleft formation, leading to the diagnosis of epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica (EBD). EBD is a well-known disease in humans as well as in various domestic and farm animal species, and the cause has been elucidated up to the molecular genetic level in some of these. In goats, however, there has been no genetic investigation in epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica so far, which will be the next step of the analysis in the here described case.

A 14-month-old, male castrated, 3,9-kg Singapura cat was referred for treatment of severe pulmonary valve stenosis associated with tricuspid valve dysplasia. The cat was pretreated with atenolol and scheduled for pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty. Because the right femoral vein could not accommodate a 5 Fr introducer, vascular access was obtained via the left external jugular vein, followed by right ventricular catheterisation, pressure measurement and angiography. A 10 mm low pressure balloon catheter was advanced over a guidewire to the level of the pulmonary valve and inflated once, resulting in complete loss of the balloon waist. During the procedure, the cat was severely hypotensive for 30 minutes, lasting from the time of ca-theterisation of the right ventricular outflow tract until nearly the end of anaesthesia. Postoperative tachypnoea was attributed to congestive heart failure, although aspiration pneumonia could not be excluded. The patient was discharged the day after the intervention following a single dose of furosemide and received amoxicillin-clavulanate for ten days. Echocardiography after eleven days, three months and 16 months demonstrated a marked and sustained reduction of the transvalvular pressure gradient. The cat showed an improved activity level after the procedure, which persisted over the 16-month follow-up period.

Vascular hamartomas are rare malformations in foals that typically present as painless masses of the skin or subcutaneous tissue. This case report describes a newborn foal with a vascular mass over the right shoulder. Complete surgical excision was performed at seven days of age. Histologically, the lesion was found to be a well-defined dermal vascular proliferation consistent with a vascular hamartoma. The healing process was uneventful, and no recurrence occurred six months postoperatively. This case adds a rare location on the scapula to the literature and confirms surgical removal as an effective treatment option.

Influenza A virus (IAV) is an important respiratory pathogen in pigs and poses a zoonotic risk to humans in close contact. While IAV epidemiology has been extensively studied in large-scale production systems, data from Switzerland - characterized by small herds and limited live pig imports - remain scarce. This exploratory nationwide cross-sectional study aimed to assess the association between herd-level IAV detection and reported respiratory disease in pig herds, and to explore associations with husbandry-, animal-, and human health-related factors. Between November 2023 and April 2025, 25 Swiss pig herds with caretaker-suspected respiratory symptoms were investigated. In each herd, five nasal swabs were collected and analyzed by quantitative PCR. Herd managers completed an interview, and clinical examinations were performed. Overall, 56 % (95 % CI: 37,1 - 73,3) of herds tested positive for IAV, comparable to reports from other European countries. The estimated intra-herd detection rate was 49,6 % (95 % CI: 31,2 - 68,0). Respiratory disease outbreaks associated with IAV detection showed indications of seasonal variation, with no positive herds identified during summer. Across age groups, pigs aged 11-14 weeks had a higher likelihood of IAV detection, with 15,79-fold increased odds (95 % CI: 1,50 - 860,4), although with considerable uncertainty. The interpretation is limited by the small sample size, heterogeneous data, and reliance on single time-point qPCR detection. The results suggest that IAV detection in clinically apparent respiratory outbreaks may follow seasonal patterns in Swiss pig herds. Weaners and newly introduced fattening pigs may play a role in such respiratory outbreaks and could represent relevant targets for IAV surveillance in Switzerland. Continued monitoring and the implemen tation of appropriate control measures remain important given the virus's zoonotic potential and impact on pig health.

Effective horse-rider communication is essential in equestrian sports, both for performance and animal welfare. Rein tension, which is often applied through negative reinforcement (i.e., the release of pressure to reward a desired response), plays a central role in this interaction. However, high or inconsistent tension can lead to discomfort or injury, particularly in the mouth cavity. While previous studies have analyzed rein tension in basic gaits such as walk, trot, and canter, limited research exists on more complex maneuvers like jumping or abrupt stops. This pilot study introduces a custom-designed strain gauge-based sensor system developed to measure rein tension under typical riding conditions. A high sampling rate was configured to allow accurate detection of short-duration tension peaks. The sensors were calibrated and showed an accuracy of.

Early-onset muscle weakness (MW) syndrome is a genetic disorder in Holstein cattle, that was first described in the US in 2022 and is caused by a recessively inherited variant in the CACNA1S gene. This report documents the first confirmed case of MW in Holstein cattle in Europe. A 17-day-old female Swiss Holstein calf was presented for progressive, non-ambulatory weakness and inability to stand up without assistance. Clinical examination revealed generalized muscle atrophy and tremors, a wide-based stance, and inability to acquire the quadrupedal stance without assistance. Hematologic and biochemical analyses were unremarkable, except for mild monocytopenia and reduced plasma creatinine. Histopathological analysis of semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles revealed pronounced fiber size variability, rounded hypertrophic fibers, small fibers with central nuclei, mild mononuclear infiltration, and increased connective tissue, findings consistent with chronic myopathic change. Pedigree analysis revealed that the affected calf was inbred and could be traced back to two known US MW carriers suggesting recessive inheritance. Genetic testing of the case confirmed homozygosity for CACNA1S, whereas both parents were heterozygous. The estimate of the frequency of this defect allele in the Swiss Holstein population is 0,56 %and 1,07 % in Swiss Fleckvieh. MW should be considered as a differential diagnosis in young calves of these two breeds presenting with signs of recumbency and weakness and should be tested accordingly using genetic diagnostics.

Suckler cow farming is a key part of Swiss beef production, representing extensive farming practices and high standards of animal welfare. Around 7 % of the country's cattle are registered with the relevant breeding association. Switzerland boasts a high degree of genetic diversity, with 38 beef and dual-purpose breeds. This study aimed to systematically catalogue known recessive genetic defects and selected inherited traits of the most common Swiss suckler cow breeds and determine their prevalence. Worldwide, 67 monogenic recessive genetic defects have been identified in beef cattle. Of these, 42 - caused by 45 known gene variants - affect the ten most commonly kept suckler cow breeds in Switzerland. Currently, 40 causative gene variants for 37 genetic defects are routinely tested in Switzerland. No carrier animals have yet been identified for 13 of these variants. In contrast, heterozygous carriers were rarely identified for a total of 27 variants. The breed-specific allele frequencies exceeded 1 % for 14 harmful alleles. The causal variant for retinitis pigmentosa 1 was particularly widespread in Charolais and Angus cattle, as was the causal variant for developmental duplication in Angus cattle. Additionally, single homozygous affected animals were confirmed for the first time in Switzerland: tibial hemimelia in Galloway cattle and progressive ataxia in Charolais cattle. In addition to genetic defects, breeding-relevant monogenic traits such as muscle hypertrophy and hornlessness are also examined. These traits sometimes occur with high allele frequencies in several breeds and can therefore be targeted specifically in breeding programs. SWISScow SNP array genotyping enables harmful recessive alleles to be monitored. Suspected cases should be reported and investigated. Digital breeding planning tools help to avoid risk matings of heterozygous carriers, thereby reducing reproductive losses and improving animal health and welfare in the long term.

Hypoadrenocorticism in cats is a rare endocrine disorder that should be considered in patients presenting with vague, intermittent, or waxing and waning clinical signs. Chronic gastrointestinal signs, poor growth, or episodes of hypovolemic shock should raise clinical suspicion. British Shorthair cats may be overrepresented among affected cats, and clinicians should be particularly alert when this breed presents with compatible signs. Definitive diagnosis requires an ACTH stimulation test, which should be performed prior to the initiation of any glucocorticoid treatment to avoid diagnostic interference. In clinically stable cats, baseline cortisol measurement may be used as an initial screening tool. However, as no feline-specific thresholds have been validated, the commonly used cut-off of >2 µg/dL (>55 nmol/L) to rule out hypoadrenocorticism should be interpreted with caution, as it may be less reliable than in dogs. Long-term management involves lifelong glucocorticoid replacement, typically using oral prednisolone. Cats generally require higher maintenance doses than dogs to maintain clinical stability. Mineralocorticoid deficiency is managed with subcutaneous administration of an extended-release desoxycorticosterone preparation (Zycortal®) given monthly at a starting dose of 2,2 mg/kg - substantially higher than canine doses. As an alternative, daily oral fludrocortisone acetate (Florinef® or Astonin®H) could be used at 0,01-0,02 mg/kg/day in selected cases. Regular monitoring of sodium and potassium levels is essential to adjust mineralocorticoid dosages and optimize treatment. Because affected cats cannot mount an adequate stress response, additional glucocorticoid supplementation («glucocorticoid boost») is required during stressful situations or concurrent illness. Owners must be educated about the signs of adrenal crisis, which can be more subtle and difficult to recognize in cats compared to dogs. Emphasis should be placed on consistent medication administration and routine veterinary monitoring to ensure long-term disease control and quality of life.

Actinomycosis in cattle is often detected late and is usually too advanced by that point to be successfully treated. Five cases referred to the Ruminant Clinic were reviewed as part of this case series. The aim of this review was to highlight the differences and similarities among the cases, as well as their clinical courses. The recommendation to the livestock owners in cases 1 and 2 was to slaughter the animals due to the advanced stage of the disease. Cases 3 and 4 involved animals in which the changes were detected early and could therefore be treated. The diagnosis in case 5 was confirmed by computed tomography, and the head was examined pathologically after slaughter. In addition to clinical examination, radiological imaging was the method of choice for diagnosing actinomycosis in vivo in all cases.

The reported biochemical changes in primary abomasal impaction (PAI) have mainly focused on electrolytes; the changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) and liver enzymes have not been evaluated particularly for adult buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). The aim of this study was to describe the blood gas parameters, CRP, clinical, hematological, and biochemical characteristics of PAI in a prospective study. The study was conducted on 15 animals (nine buffaloes and six cows) diagnosed with PAI. The diagnosis was based on consistency of abomasum on laparo-rumenotomy and/or necropsy. The age of the animals was 2,5 to 10 years and had been ill for 4-15 days. The food composition was characterized by low quality fibres (wheat straw). Most frequent clinical signs were anorexia, reduced water intake, dullness, congested mucous membranes, dehydration, ruminal hypomotility, and scanty or absent feces with or without mucus. The hematological findings were neutrophilia, left shift and toxic neutrophils in most of the cases. The consistent biochemical changes were hypochloremia, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and increased levels of C-reactive protein, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, globulin, triglycerides, glucose, urea, creatinine, lactate, magnesium and ruminal fluid chloride. Blood gas analysis revealed severe metabolic alkalosis with compensatory respiratory acidosis. Prognosis of the disease was poor. The degree of metabolic alkalosis, hypochloremia, hypokalemia and hyperlactatemia could be helpful in differentiating abomasal impaction from other abdominal disorders in bovines.

Lameness grading in cattle facilitates the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders and provides information regarding the disease severity in terms of animal welfare and transportability of the animal. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between the degree of lameness and the severity of musculoskeletal disorders in cattle. The degree of lameness in 545 cattle with different orthopaedic disorders was analysed retrospectively. The categories age, type of lameness, anatomical localisation of the lesions, involvement of soft tissues, bones, joints, and other synovial structures, severity of infection, and claw involvement were generated. The categories were correlated with the degree of lameness, and both were correlated with the prognosis. Calves were more severely lame than older cattle (4/5 versus 3/5). Lameness originating from lesions at the carpus and tarsus or distally from these areas mostly led to supporting-leg lameness (87,5 % and 85,7 % or 95,7 %). Diseases localised proximal to the carpal and tarsal joints caused mixed lameness in 81,3 % of cases and supporting-leg lameness in 12,5 %; swinging-leg lameness was rare (6,3 %) The median degree of mixed lameness (3,5/5) exceeded that of supporting-leg lameness (3/5). Cattle with stifle (3,5/5) or elbow disorders (4/5) had significantly higher degrees of lameness compared with cattle with lameness attributable to other causes. Likewise, lameness caused by joint disease (3,5/5) was generally more severe than lameness caused by other disorders. Superficially infected musculoskeletal disorders and uncomplicated claw diseases were associated with milder lameness (both 3/5) than those with deep infection and complicated claw disorders (3/5 and 3,5/5). Cattle that recovered and were discharged had less severe lameness (2,5/5) than those that were slaughtered (3/5), and the latter had less severe lameness than those that were euthanised (3,5/5). The correlation between the severity of an orthopaedic disorder and the degree of lameness in cattle is consistent with clinical experience. This investigation allowed us to substantiate several relationships between the investigated variables and the degree of lameness. Our findings allowed the severity of a musculoskeletal disorder to be tentatively diagnosed and the affected anatomical structure to be identified based on the degree and type of lameness. This, in turn, may improve diagnostic capability and formulation of the prognosis, as well as the assessment of the fitness for transport of cattle with orthopaedic disorders.

We propose elements of a political economy of One Health for Switzerland. It is derived from more than 25 years of collaborative research and development with an interdisciplinary research team at the interface between human and veterinary medicine and several other sciences in Africa and Asia. It is based on work on mixed vaccination services for nomads and their animals in Chad and the cross-sectoral economic analysis of brucellosis control in Mongolia. This was later supplemented by conceptual work on human- environment systems and a new game-theoretical approach to One Health. We refer to the new definition of One Health by the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), the European Union's advisory body on the implementation (operationalization) of One Health, and new integrated surveillance and response systems for humans, animals, and the environment in Ethiopia. A political economy of One Health emerges inductively from the above-mentioned research and consists of core elements of governance, economic guidelines, and principles of implementation. One Health governance works participatively with consultative processes that involve social actors. It is cross-sectoral and involves human and veterinary medicine, agriculture, the environment, and other areas in finding solutions. A key element is cooperation at all levels of society, from village communities to cantons, the national government, and international bodies. A One Health approach should be economically profitable while preserving natural resources. It should benefit all population groups, animals, and the environment equally. Existing policies can be adapted for implementation and do not necessarily have to be developed from scratch. It is important to clarify the respective responsibilities and then divide up the cooperation accordingly. The political economy of One Health thus has great potential to contribute to solving major pressing problems such as climate change, species loss, increasing antibiotic resistance, and the prevention of pandemics.

Veterinary medicine students are confronted with choosing a specialty track after completing their bachelor›s degree. They can choose between clinical (Livestock (NT), Equine (EQ), Small Animal (KT)) and non-clinical track (Pathobiology, Biomedical Research or Veterinary Public Health (VPH)). Overall, the proportion of vegetarians and vegans in the population has increased in the last few decades. An even higher percentage of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles could be observed among veterinary students. There is empirical evidence that those who follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle are more likely not to choose the focus on «livestock (NT)». For this reason, a group of students of the Vetsuisse Faculty in Bern examined in more detail whether the choice of track differs depending on eating behavior. Despite some inaccuracies associated with such a study, it is shown that students who eat an omnivorous diet are more likely to choose the NT focus than students who follow a vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian diet. Moreover, that vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, as an expression of underlying values, ethical convictions or emotional attitudes, could play a role in specialization and career choice. Against this background, it seems reasonable, within the framework of the discussion on admission and training structures in veterinary studies, to examine how it can be ensured that a sufficient number of graduates are both professionally qualified and motivated in the long term for the livestock sector.

Canine leishmaniosis is a zoonotic disease with diverse clinical manifestations; renal involvement is among the most severe. In light of the lack of recommendations for managing canine Leishmania-associated proteinuria across LeishVet disease stages, climate change and the associated risk of Leishmania infantum becoming endemic in Switzerland, a targeted evaluation of disease awareness and current therapeutic strategies is needed. This study investigated treatment strategies used by Swiss veterinarians for managing canine leishmaniosis, focusing on proteinuria. An online survey was conducted using LimeSurvey®. A total of 817 veterinarians were contacted, and 149 fully completed questionnaires were analyzed (response rate: 18,2 %). Most respondents reported following LeishVet guidelines in their treatment of leishmaniosis. Urinalysis is performed by 84,6 % of participants. In LeishVet stage 2B (urinary protein:creatinine ratio 0,5-1), 43 % initiate antiproteinuric treatment; in stage 4 (urinary protein:creatinine ratio > 5), 80 % treat proteinuria. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors are the most frequently used medications, preferred over angiotensin II receptor blockers. Interestingly, the latter are mainly used in advanced stages of the disease. In summary, only a minority of veterinarians initiate antiproteinuric treatment in LeishVet stage 2B (urinary protein:creatinine ratio 0,5-1), although this would be the optimal time for slowing the progression of renal disease. Possible reasons include additional costs and a lack of awareness of the potential negative consequences of proteinuria. The results also show heterogeneity in treatment decisions and highlight the need for clear, stage-based recommendations for the management of proteinuria in canine leishmaniosis.