Considering that high blood fat is one of the most important risk factors for other diseases in pets, the aim of the study was to determine the relationship between lipid profile and body condition score in domestic dogs in Isfahan, Iran. The semi experimental study was conducted on 120 dogs referred to veterinary clinics in Isfahan. All dogs were suffering from hyperlipidemia. The desired sample was divided into three groups of 40 dogs and compared in terms of lipid profile. No significant difference was observed between obese and thin dogs in terms of blood sugar levels (P>0.05). A significant difference was observed between different groups in terms of triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (P<0.05). Triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels were significantly lower in thin dogs than obese dogs (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and glucose between the two sexes (P>0.05). Blood glucose levels were higher in small breeds than large breeds (P=0.03). A weak correlation was observed between body score and triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels. With the increase in obesity among domestic dogs, changes should be made to their lifestyle and diet.

The study was carried out for a period of 150 days on 120 Holstein Friesian crossbred dairy cows between mid to late lactation to quantify the influence of body condition score (BCS) on yield and composition of milk. Total 12 dairy farms having same housing systems and holding at least 20 crossbred dairy cows per farm between mid to late lactation were selected for this study purposes. BCS of individual cows was recorded in a 1-5 scale. Milk samples were collected from individual cow. Samples collected from cows having same BCS were mixed together to make composite sample. Chemical analyses of the samples were carried out in triplicate for fat, protein, lactose, ash, total solids (TS) and solids not fat (SNF). Results indicated that, BCS significantly (P<0.05) affected milk yield, milk fat and ash content in crossbred Holstein Friesian dairy cows. Highest milk yield (13.45±1.80 kg/day) was recorded with moderate BCS (3.00) followed by lower (2.75 to 2.25) and higher (3.25 to 4.00). Milk protein, lactose, TS, SNF and specific gravity (SG) increased non significantly (P>0.05) with increasing BCS up to 4.0. Correlation coefficient matrix indicated that BCS was negatively correlated with milk yield. However, there was a positive relationship of BCS with milk protein, lactose, TS, SNF and SG even though the strength of association was variable.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of protected glutamine (Gln) supplementation in the diet of Holstein fresh cows after parturition on dry matter intake (DMI), plasma metabolites, body condition score (BCS) and reproductive performance. Forty Holstein dairy cows (796± 58 kg of pre-parturition live weight; 3. 25± 0. 35 BCS) at zero d of parturition were divided to four groups (n=10), including: basal diet (control group: a total mixed ration (TMR) consisting of 49% forage and 51% concentrate mixture on dry matter (DM) basis), basal diet supplemented with 150, 250 or 350 g of Gln protected with formaldehyde/cow per day. Dry matter intake of experimental treatments on 21 d after calving were 12. 09, 14. 39, 15. 40 and 97. 15 kg/d respectively. Plasma glucose concentrations of 1 to 4 treatments on 21 d after calving were 48. 8, 55. 0, 59. 2 and 60. 5 mg/dl respectively. total protein concentrations of 1 to 4 treatments on 21 d after calving were 5. 02, 5. 98, 7. 10 and 7. 20 g/dl respectively. AST concentrations of 1 to 4 treatments on 21 d after calving were 132. 5, 82. 1, 73. 3 and 71. 3 U/l respectively. Dietary supplementation with protected Gln had no effect on blood urinary nitrogen. The cows that received Gln changed the BCS less than the control treatment. Dietary supplementation of Gln had no effect on reproductive performance and the number of artificial insemination leading to pregnancy and also the interval between calving to pregnancy were not significant between treatments.

The objective of the present study was to determine factors affecting body condition score (BCS) and its association with productive and reproductive performances in Holstein cows. Mixed model analysis was performed on monthly records of BCS from April 2006 to July 2012 comprising 34666 records from 3134 dairy cows in a large commercial dairy herd under arid climatic conditions of Isfahan in Iran. Body condition scores were recorded on a scale of 1 to 5. Fixed factors included in the final mixed model of analysis were evaluation year, parity and evaluation season and also year by parity, season by parity and year by season interaction effects. Average BCS in the dairy herd was 3.06±0.77. The results showed that there was an increasing trend for BCS over the years from 2006 to 2012 (P<0.001). Also, the recording season of winter provided greater BCS than other seasons (P<0.001). Mean BCS increased from first to third parity but then declined thereafter (P<0.05). The correlation between BCS and milk yield was negative and varied from -0.23 to -0.13 over the parities. The correlation between BCS and fat percentage was low and changed from 0 (fourth and greater parities) to 0.08 (first and second parities). There were low to medium correlations (0.14 to 0.29) between BCS and protein percentage over the parities. The correlation estimates be-tween BCS and days open, calving interval and number of inseminations per conception were low and positive, but the correlation between BCS and conception rate was negative over the parities.

The effect of energy intake level (EIL) and body condition score (BCS) on ovulate Qnrate (OR) in Iranian fat-tailed ewes, and role of leptin in this phenomenon has not been cleared. Therefore, two experiments carried out in fat-tailed Shal ewes. 1 st experiment was conducted to study the effect of EIL on body weight (BW), BCS, OR and their relationships in a long period. 2nd experiment designed to study the effect of EIL and leptin administration on OR in a short period. In the 1st experiment, synchronized ewes were fed a ration which provided 60% (0.6M; n=14) or 100%(M; n=14) maintenance energy requirements for 5 oestrous cycles. In the 2nd experiment, 24 synchronized ewes were assigned randomly in to three groups and received the following treatments for 4 days. Group I (n=8) were fed a ration which provided 100% maintenance energy requirements and infused with 1m/kg recombinant human leptin. Group 11(n=8) and III (n=8) were fed a ration which provided 180% and 100%maintenance energy requirements respectively, and infused with 1ml normal saline saline. BW, BCS and OR were determined in each oestrous cycle. In the 1SI experiment, BW and BCS significantly (P<0.01) decreased in 0.6M group and indicated a positive correlation (R2 = 0.62). OR in 0.6M group, significantly (P<0.01) decreased when BCS<2. Ovulation was stopped when BCS=1. In the 2nd experiment, there were not any significant differences in BW, BSC and OR between experimental groups. Results suggest that OR in fat-tailed ewes responded to changes of EIL, BW and BCS later than thin-tailed ewes.

Extended Abstract Background: Iran is geographically located in a hot and dry region, and its pastures are mainly lacking and imbalanced in terms of nutrients, including minerals. In addition to causing many complications caused by the lack of minerals, this problem also endangers the metabolism of other nutrients. Due to the fact that most of the feed consumed by sheep in the country is provided from pastures, and there is no possibility of manual feeding, the aforementioned deficiencies can play an effective role in reducing the income of farmers and livestock productivity. Chelated minerals are those that are attached to one or more amino acids or organic acids. In other words, when a mineral substance is connected to another one, such as amino acids, it produces a chelated mineral substance. Numerous studies have shown that chelate forms of zinc, manganese, and copper are more bioavailable than inorganic forms. This issue supports the functions related to low-consumption minerals and causes their very small excretion due to the much lower consumption amount. The higher bioavailability of chelates is related to different absorption and balancing mechanisms and the absence of antagonists related to minerals. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding sources of chelated trace minerals (Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, and Co) on the performance of Afshari ewes and lambs. Methods: Experimental animals were used from a herd using estrus synchronization with 60 heavy pregnant ewes of the Afshar breed with an approximate age of 2 years and the second calving cycle in the form of a completely randomized design with three treatments each containing 20 replications. The test period was from the 21st day before delivery to the 70th day after delivery. Experimental treatments were a basal diet without supplemental trace minerals (Control, n = 20), a basal diet plus chelate sources of trace minerals (Chelate, n = 20), and a basal diet plus organic sources of trace minerals (n = 20). Experimental diets were adjusted and balanced based on meeting the metabolic needs of pregnant and lactating ewes using SRNS small ruminant feeding system software based on dry matter with 68% fodder and 32% pre-lambing concentrate and 70% fodder plus 30% post-lambing-partum concentrate percentage after birth. The consumed ration was completely mixed and offered to the ewes twice a day (8 am and 4 pm). The ewes were weighed with a digital scale (accuracy of 50 g) before offering the morning feed at the beginning of the experiment, on the day of calving, and on the 35th and 70th days after calving. The body conditions of the ewes at the beginning, the day of calving, and days 35 and 70 after calving were scored based on a scoring system of 1-5. Colostrum production was measured by weighing lambs before and after eating colostrum 24 hours after birth and milk production by the milking method with the intramuscular injection of oxytocin. The lambs were also weighed at birth and at 30 and 70 days old, along with measuring their daily weight gain (using a digital scale with an accuracy of 50 g). The final data were analyzed using the GLM procedure by SAS statistical software version 9. 1 (SAS, 2001). The means of the treatments were compared using Duncan's multiple range test at an error probability level of 0. 05. Results: Dry matter consumption, colostrum production, and milk production in the chelate group were significantly higher than those of the other two groups (P < 0. 05). The composition of ewes' milk after parturition was not affected by the experimental treatments (P < 0. 05). Body weight and body condition scores were affected by the experimental treatments, except they were significantly lower at the time of lambing on days 35 and 70 after lambing and in the control group than in the other two groups (P < 0. 05). The weight loss of the ewes was affected by the experimental treatments, and the ewes of the control group lost significantly more weight than the other two groups (P < 0. 05). The weight of lambs at birth and 35 and 70 days old in lambs born from ewes fed with the chelated sources of low consumption minerals was higher than the organic and control groups (P < 0. 05). Daily weight gain up to 70 days in ewes fed with chelated sources of low-consumption minerals was higher than that of the organic and control groups (P < 0. 05). Conclusion: In general, the results of the present study showed that feeding ewes with mineral substances in the form of chelates led to a decrease in the consumption of ewes and improved the growth performance of Afshari lambs.

BACKGROUND: Body Condition Score (BCS) is a subjective metod for evaluating the nutritional status of the flock that provided the profitable information of productive trait and body ingridients. OBGECTIVES: The Effect of BCS at lambing on ultrasounography, biometry measurement and productive traits of Afshari breeds were investigated.METHODS: 169 Afshari ewes 2 to 7 years old were selected from experimental flock of Zanjan University. BCS of ewes at lambing were categorized to 5 groups of 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4. The numbers of each Group were 12, 50, 45, 27 and 35 respectively. Traits in this study included: ultrasounography and biometry measurements, body weight and body temperature, wool production and some productive traits.RESULTS: BCS have significant effect on Longissimus muscle depth, body length, chest circumference, length tail, middle and bottom of the tail and body weight, while skin thickness, fat thickness, withers height and depth of the chest have no significant difference (P<0.05). Average wool production in ewes with a score of 3.5 more than other groups, and ewes with BCS 2 was lower than other treatments (P<0.05). Birth weight of lamb from ewes with different BCS, have no significant. This study showed that type of birth and sex of lamb in birth weight was significant (P<0.05). Ewe Body condition score, sex, birth weight and type of birth were effective on weaning weight and average daily gain to weaning.CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that positive effect of BCS, ewes with BCS of 3 to 4 had better performance than other groups in the flock, therefore complementary feeding of ewes in late pregnancy is recommended.

In the past decade, a global demand for products from organic agriculture has increased rapidly. Milk quality is of major interest to all parties. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare cow performance and product quality on conventional and organic diets. 72 Holstein dairy cows were allotted to one of four diets: a conventional diet (CON40), an organic diet with a low amount of forage (ORG40), an organic diet with a moderate amount of forage (ORG60) and an organic diet with a high amount of forage (ORG80). Multiparous cows (2nd, 3rd, and 4th parity) were randomly assigned to the treatments. Range forages were used as part of the diets, and cows were individually offered feed three times a day with refus-als collected once a day. Daily dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yield (MY) were measured for 308 days. Somatic cell count (SCC), body weight (BW) and feed efficiency (FE) were determined at 28-day intervals. The DMI was different for cows that consumed the ORG80 (18. 2 kg/d), ORG60 (19. 1 kg/d), ORG40 (20. 1 kg/d) and CON40 (20. 5 kg/d) diets. BW was not affected by treatments, but differences in body condition score (BCS) (P<0. 05) were observed. Although milk yield was higher in cows fed CON40, milk fat was higher (P<0. 05) in cows fed organic diets. Lower FE, milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were observed in cows fed organic diets (P<0. 05).