Domestication of animals has resulted in phenotypic changes by means of natural and human-directed selection. Body composition is important for farm animals because it reflects the status of energy reserves. Thus, there is the possibility that farm animals as providers of food have been more affected by human-directed selection for body composition than laboratory animals. In this study, an ana...

Abstract Donkeys have been used as working animals for transport and farm activities worldwide. Recently, in European countries, there has an increasing interest donkeys due to their use pets, onotherapy or milk production. During 2014–2016, a countrywide survey was conducted determine prevalence risk factors of principal helminth infections 1775 77 Italian farms. A questionnaire on management ...

The SPCA wants to put across that we would prefer people to try and find a solution themselves (pet owners should find homes for their pets instead of leaving them at the SPCA, which has to deal with so many strays as well). Up to 400 animals we receive each month are unwanted pets while some are abandoned on the streets (we receive about 70 lost dogs every month, but only one third are claimed...

It has been shown that people and pets can harbour identical strains of meticillin-resistant (MR) staphylococci when they share an environment. Veterinary dermatology practitioners are a professional group with a high incidence of exposure to animals infected by Staphylococcus spp. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of carriage of MR Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), MR S. pse...

Since companion animals are taking on more important roles in family life, the aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of parents about the relationship between their children and pets. A number of parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire; the principal topics were: pet ownership, pet care, relationship between pets and children, and sources of information about pet management. Ei...

Pets may carry zoonotic pathogens for which owners are at risk. The aim of the study is to investigate whether healthy pets harbour zoonotic parasitic infections and to make an inventory of the interactions between pet-owners and their companion animals in The Netherlands. Fecal and hair samples were collected from healthy household dogs and cats in Dutch veterinary practices. Owners were inter...

BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus and other coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS) colonize skin and mucous membrane sites and can cause skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in humans and animals. Factors modulating methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) colonization and infection in humans remain unclear, including the role of the greater microbial community and environmental factors such as...

Ectoparasites reduce significantly animal production and welfare. They cause nuisance, anaemia, irritation and transfer of pathogens of important diseases, often leading to animal death. Examples of diseases with high mortality transmitted by arthropods include viral diseases, such as the Bluetongue disease, or parasitic diseases, such as piroplasmosis and filariosis. Biting midges of the Obsol...