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Veterinary Sciences
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Farm Animal Health and Welfare Disorders: Recent Trends and Strategies...
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Farm Animal Health and Welfare Disorders: Recent Trends and Strategies of Prevention and Treatment

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 6056

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Vasileios Papatsiros

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Guest Editor
Clinic of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: porcine medicine; porcine herd health management; porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV); porcine-circovirus-associated diseases (PCVAD); porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC); reproductive diseases in sows and boars; welfare and production; heat stress; alternatives to antibiotics; vaccines; feed additives; mycotoxins; zoonoses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Georgios Papakonstantinou

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Guest Editor
Clinic of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: porcine herd health management; porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV); porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVAD); porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC); welfare management; antioxidants; vaccines; mycotoxins; zoonoses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Health and welfare disorders in commercial farms are generally caused by multiple factors, including infectious and non-infectious agents. For this reason, the clinical picture of health and welfare problems in farms results usually from the interaction of pathogens, management and environmental factors.

In field conditions, veterinarians have to develop and follow a herd health program, including special issues on health, welfare, diagnosis, treatments, vaccinations, nutrition and biosecurity. Therefore, it is important to understand the recent trends in animal health and welfare disorders to develop new prevention and treatment strategies to improve the health, welfare and productive parameters in livestock farming.

The scope of this Special Issue is to present a broad-scope review of the most recent trends based on the pathogenesis of health and welfare disorders in farm animals and how these approaches result in new strategies for prevention and treatment strategies.

We invite authors to present their input regarding the animal health and welfare aspects of farm animals. Topics of special interest are herd health management, veterinary medicine, farm animal diseases and reproduction, genetics, housing, nutrition and epidemiology. Additional topics include aspects of animal welfare and ethics, legislation, and biosecurity.

Prof. Dr. Vasileios Papatsiros
Dr. Georgios Papakonstantinou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • swine
  • poultry
  • cattle
  • small ruminants
  • infectious diseases
  • non-infectious disease
  • zoonotic diseases
  • welfare
  • herd health management
  • prevention
  • treatment
  • vaccines
  • alternative to antibiotics

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1611 KB  
Article
Traditional Transportation Methods and Their Influence on Local Chicken Welfare, Behavior, and Blood Profiles: A Policy Considerations
by Saber Y. Adam, Abdelkareem A. Ahmed, Mohammed H. Jammaa, Mohammed Rashid AL Makhmari, Hosameldeen Mohamed Husien, Mohamed Osman Abdalrahem Essa, Hamada Elwan, Mohamed Shehab-El-Deen, Shaaban S. Elnesr, Ahmed A. Saleh and Demin Cai
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(9), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12090798 - 23 Aug 2025
Viewed by 528
Abstract
Indigenous chickens are raised in various rural areas in large quantities throughout Sudan. They must be transported over various distances to centralized slaughterhouses or for other purposes. In this study, we examined indigenous chicken farmers’ perceptions of chicken welfare during transportation. A total [...] Read more.
Indigenous chickens are raised in various rural areas in large quantities throughout Sudan. They must be transported over various distances to centralized slaughterhouses or for other purposes. In this study, we examined indigenous chicken farmers’ perceptions of chicken welfare during transportation. A total of 160 indigenous chickens (80 control + 80 transported with their owners) participated in this study. Our findings revealed that 69% and 88% of the farmers indicated that they were not knowledgeable about animal rights and animal welfare, respectively. The majority of the farmers (86%) reported that they were unaware of animal protection laws. Furthermore, the transported chickens showed a significantly long tonic immobility duration (p < 0.05) compared to the control chickens. Moreover, low pecking behavior was significant (p < 0.05) in transported chickens compared to control, particularly on day one of the experiment. In addition, the mean values of glucose, TWBCs, monocytes, basophils, eosinophils, H/L ratio, Hb, MCHC, and PLT were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in transported chickens compared to the controls. In addition, TNF-a, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-17, as well as ROS, MDA, cortisol, glucose, and total cholesterol were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in transportation chickens compared to control, while CAT, GSH, ATP, and SOD were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in transportation chickens compared to control. We conclude that the traditional transportation of indigenous Sudanese chickens affected their welfare, and this was associated with farmers’ low perceptions of chicken welfare, and stress-induced blood profile changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Farm Animal Health and Welfare Disorders: Recent Trends and Strategies of Prevention and Treatment)
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15 pages, 1410 KB  
Article
Relationships Among In-Line Milk Fat-to-Protein Ratio, Metabolic Profile, and Inflammatory Biomarkers During Early Stage of Lactation in Dairy Cows
by Karina Džermeikaitė, Justina Krištolaitytė, Neringa Sutkevičienė, Toma Vilkonienė, Gintarė Vaičiulienė, Audronė Rekešiūtė, Akvilė Girdauskaitė, Samanta Arlauskaitė, Árpád Csaba Bajcsy and Ramūnas Antanaitis
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(2), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12020187 - 19 Feb 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1797
Abstract
The early lactation phase in dairy cows is characterised by significant metabolic and inflammatory changes. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs), a marker of negative energy balance (NEB), and serum amyloid A (SAA), an indicator of [...] Read more.
The early lactation phase in dairy cows is characterised by significant metabolic and inflammatory changes. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs), a marker of negative energy balance (NEB), and serum amyloid A (SAA), an indicator of systemic inflammation. Blood samples were collected from 71 Holstein cows during the transition period 17 (±3) DIM, and serum concentrations of NEFAs and SAA were measured. The results revealed a significant negative correlation between NEFAs and SAA (r = −0.441, p < 0.001), suggesting that increased fat mobilisation may suppress the inflammatory response, thereby increasing the susceptibility to metabolic and infectious diseases. The emerging research indicates a negative association between SAA levels and milk fat-to-protein ratio in dairy cows, particularly under inflammatory conditions. The research indicates that elevated levels of SAA, which is an inflammatory biomarker, are frequently associated with alterations in milk composition, including a reduced fat-to-protein ratio. This study examined the correlations among serum NEFAs, SAA, milk composition, and dairy cattle health. A strong positive correlation was identified between serum NEFAs and milk fat content (r = 0.459, p < 0.001), as well as between serum NEFAs and the milk fat-to-protein ratio (r = 0.516, p < 0.001). Cows with elevated serum NEFA levels (classified as II-NEFA) exhibited significantly higher milk fat content (4.20%) and milk fat-to-protein ratios (1.33) compared to cows with lower serum NEFA levels (I-NEFA class; 3.81% and 1.17, respectively). The data indicate that elevated serum NEFA levels are associated with an increased milk fat synthesis, likely driven by enhanced fat mobilisation during NEB. A significant negative correlation was observed between SAA and both milk fat content (r = −0.426, p < 0.001) and the milk fat-to-protein ratio (r = −0.535, p < 0.001), indicating that inflammation may impair milk fat production. Elevated SAA levels were also associated with increased cow activity (r = 0.382, p < 0.001), suggesting that inflammation may lead to behavioural changes driven by discomfort. Our findings suggest that milk composition reflects the metabolic and inflammatory status of dairy cows and could serve as a non-invasive alternative to blood sampling for assessing energy balance and health. NEB, which typifies early lactation, promotes fat mobilisation, resulting in elevated serum NEFA levels and an increased risk of metabolic disorders such as fatty liver syndrome and ketosis. Moreover, high serum NEFA levels adversely affect immune function, increasing vulnerability to infections such as mastitis. Monitoring milk composition may enable the early detection of NEB and inflammatory conditions, thereby supporting proactive health management. However, further research is necessary to elucidate the role of NEFAs and inflammation in the development of metabolic diseases in cattle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Farm Animal Health and Welfare Disorders: Recent Trends and Strategies of Prevention and Treatment)
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17 pages, 310 KB  
Perspective
Honeybee Sentience: Scientific Evidence and Implications for EU Animal Welfare Policy
by Roberto Bava, Giovanni Formato, Giovanna Liguori and Fabio Castagna
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(7), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12070661 - 12 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1488
Abstract
The growing recognition of animal sentience has led to notable progress in European Union animal welfare legislation. However, a significant inconsistency remains: while mammals, birds, and cephalopods are legally protected as sentient beings, honeybees (Apis mellifera)—despite robust scientific evidence of their [...] Read more.
The growing recognition of animal sentience has led to notable progress in European Union animal welfare legislation. However, a significant inconsistency remains: while mammals, birds, and cephalopods are legally protected as sentient beings, honeybees (Apis mellifera)—despite robust scientific evidence of their cognitive, emotional, and sensory complexity—are excluded from such protections. This manuscript examines, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the divergence between emerging evidence on invertebrate sentience and current EU legal frameworks. Honeybees and cephalopods serve as comparative case studies to assess inconsistencies in the criteria for legal recognition of sentience. Findings increasingly confirm that honeybees exhibit advanced cognitive functions, emotional states, and behavioral flexibility comparable to those of legally protected vertebrates. Their omission from welfare legislation lacks scientific justification and raises ethical and ecological concerns, especially given their central role in pollination and ecosystem stability. In general, we advocate for the inclusion of Apis mellifera in EU animal welfare policy. However, we are aware that there are also critical views on their introduction, which we address in a dedicated paragraph of the manuscript. For this reason, we advocate a gradual and evidence-based approach, guided by a permanent observatory, which could ensure that legislation evolves in parallel with scientific understanding, promoting ethical consistency, sustainable agriculture, and integrated health under the One Health framework. This approach would meet the concerns of consumers who consider well-being and respect for the environment as essential principles of breeding, and who carefully choose products from animals raised with systems that respect welfare, with indisputable economic advantages for the beekeeper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Farm Animal Health and Welfare Disorders: Recent Trends and Strategies of Prevention and Treatment)
7 pages, 717 KB  
Brief Report
Diagnostic Limitations of Applying a Human Portable Blood Glucose Meter in the Detection of Hypoglycemia in Pregnant Ewes
by José Lucas Xavier Lopes, Raquel Fraga e Silva Raimondo, Luiza Rodegheri Jacondino, Beatriz Riet Correa, Clara Satsuki Mori and Álan Gomes Pöppl
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(1), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12010047 - 11 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1221
Abstract
Pregnant ewes are susceptible to hypoglycemia and ketosis; therefore, monitoring glycemic status is extremely important. Portable blood glucose meters (PBGMs) can assist in quickly and conveniently identifying glycemic disturbances in this species, provided that they meet the criteria of analytical accuracy. This study [...] Read more.
Pregnant ewes are susceptible to hypoglycemia and ketosis; therefore, monitoring glycemic status is extremely important. Portable blood glucose meters (PBGMs) can assist in quickly and conveniently identifying glycemic disturbances in this species, provided that they meet the criteria of analytical accuracy. This study evaluated the performance of a human PBGM (Accu-Chek Performa®, Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland) in the glycemic evaluation of 34 pregnant ewes at days 90 and 120 of pregnancy in comparison with the results of glycemia determination by a reference method (RM). The device showed a high positive correlation (r = 0.71, 95%CI = 0.57–0.82, p < 0.0001) with the RM; however, 96.6% of the PBGM results (58.5 ± 9.82 mg/dL) were higher (p < 0.0001) than those obtained in the laboratory (48.6 ± 9.31 mg/dL). The PBGM tested was considered analytically inaccurate according to ISO 15197:2013, which states that when glucose levels are below 100 mg/dL, 95% of the measurements should deviate by no more than 15 mg/dL from the RM value, and 1/3 of the PBGM results were above this limit. Hypoglycemia (<50 mg/dL) was documented in 60.29% of samples tested on with the RM, but only 17.64% of results were below 50 mg/dL using the PBGM. Due to these limitations, Accu-Check Performa® results should be interpreted cautiously in pregnant sheep suspected of hypoglycemia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Farm Animal Health and Welfare Disorders: Recent Trends and Strategies of Prevention and Treatment)
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