Vetreckon - Vetreckon is India's digital magazine on veterinary education

1. VETRECKON – DIGITAL VETERINARY MAGAZINE Issue #
 Pharmacorner – Working of alpha & beta agonist & antagonists
 Basics of Rumenology
 Veterinary Entrepreneurship – Cover Story
Many more……

2. VETRECKON – DIGITAL VETERINARY MAGAZINE Issue #
VETRECKON
Vetreckon magazine is the magazine
and web/digital resource for the Indian
community of veterinary students,
teachers and field veterinarians which
provide latest up to date information
and new technology developments.
Publishing Director
Sara Naqvi
+91-8800939109
axonvet@gmail.com
Editor
Dr Ibne Ali, M.V.Sc. IVRI
+91-9557907955
ibnester@gmail.com
Design & Circulation
Rahul Thakkar
+91-9540121922
thakkarrahul@axonvet.com
CONTENTS
How alpha and beta
agonists and
antagonists works?
Understanding Basic
Ruminology
Does anything exist
like Veterinary
entrepreneurship?
Urea Cycle (Krebs-
Henseleit Ornithine
Cycle) Ibne Ali
Calf diarrhea is one ofthe major setback forpresent dairy industry and
main hurdle in its development. Due to multiple etiologicalsystem and
consequent poor diagnosis is the main reason for losses. Further
farmers never gave attention to calves because their feeding is costly
affair and provide returns after long time, that’s why farmers rarely
provide required amount of milk. Additionally, there is a myth that
unless placenta is shed off farmers never allow calves to suckle
colostrum. Calf diarrhea is attributed to both infectious and non-
infectious factors. Multiple enteric pathogens (e.g., viruses, bacteria,
and protozoa) are involved in the development of this disease. Co-
infection is frequently observed in diarrheic calves although a single
primary pathogen can be the cause in some cases. The prevalence of
each of pathogen and disease incidence can vary by geographical
location of the farms, farm management practices, and herd size.
Although the dairy industry has made great improvements with herd
management, animal facilities and care, feeding and nutrition, and
timely use of bio-pharmaceutics, calf diarrhea is still problematic due
to the multi-factorial nature of the disease. Prevention and control of
calf diarrhea should be based on a good understanding of the disease
complexities such as multiple pathogens, co-infection, environmental
factors, and feeding and management during the calving period
before disease outbreaks. Numerous infectious agents have been
implicated in calf diarrhea. Bovine practitioners and cattle producers
are aware of many enteric pathogens because these primary agents
have been known to be involved in calf diarrhea for several decades
and still greatly influence current cow-calf operations. Ten different
enteric pathogens are recognized as either major (BRV, BCoV, BVDV,
Salmonella spp, E. coli, C. perfringens, and C. parvum) or emerging
(bovine caliciviruses and BToV) pathogens. Cryptosporidium parvum
is a protozoan parasite that is frequently associated with
gastrointestinal tract disease in humans and neonatal cattle. Calves
infected with C. parvum can be asymptomatic or develop severe
diarrhea with dehydration. I hope in further issues of VETRECKON I
try to bring more elaborated information on this topic and help you to
combat this situation more efficiently.
From the desk of editor

3. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 3
How alpha and beta agonists and antagonists works?
IN
THIS
ISSUE
mine substances that cause
physiologic responses similar to
those evoked by the endogenous
adrenergic mediators (neurohormones)
epinephrine and norepinephrine are
known as adrenergic drugs. They are
referred to as sympathomimetic agents
because their pharmacologic effects
mimic sympathetic nervous system
activity. Most clinically relevant
adrenergic agonists exert their principal
pharmacodynamics actions through
receptor activation. Just the opposite,
adrenergic receptor
antagonists prevent
receptor activation
and thereby reduce
sympathetic activity.
“Sympatholytic,”
“adrenolytic,” and
“adrenergic
blocking” are terms
used to describe
pharmacologic
effects that, in
general, simulate a
decrease in
adrenergic nerve
activity. These terms
are not synonymous,
and they have been
used to describe
different types of
antiadrenergic actions.
Adrenergic (sympathomimetic)
drugs
Pharmacologic effects of
sympathomimetic amines are mediated
by activation of adrenergic receptors of
effector cells innervated by the
sympathetic nervous system. Non
innervated (means which are not
attached to nerve fibres) adrenoceptors
also are present in some cell types. In
general, therefore, pharmacologic
effects of adrenergic agonists can be
equated to physiologic effects resulting
from increased sympatho-adrenal
discharge. A thorough understanding of
basic adrenoceptor concepts is
important to the future practitioner
because this information has direct
application to the clinical use of all
adrenergic agonists and antagonists.
Adrenergic receptors
Adrenergic receptors (i.e.,
adrenoceptors) are macromolecular
structures localized on or within the
surface membrane of cells innervated by
adrenergic neurons (and certain non-
innervated cells). The basic physiologic
function of the adrenergic receptor is to
recognize and interact with the
endogenous adrenergic mediators
norepinephrine and epinephrine. This
interaction triggers a
series of complex
intracellular events that
yield a characteristic
change in effector cell
activity.
A classic simplification of
the complex field of adrenergic receptors
was formulated by Ahlquist in 1948; he
proposed the existence of two basic
types of adrenergic receptors, which he
designated as alpha (α) and beta (β). This
classification system is based on the
relative potencies of several adrenergic
agonists to elicit excitatory and inhibitory
effects in different tissues.
Structure-activity relationships
Several factors have complicated
determination of optimal structural
requirements for adrenergic drugs. Most
adrenergic drugs affect both α and β
receptors, and the ratio ofα and β activity
varies tremendously between drugs and
species. Some adrenergic agents cause
indirect effects mediated by release of
endogenous norepinephrine. Despite
these various and often conflicting
interrelationships, some general and
some rather specific
aspects of the
structure-activity
relationship of
sympathomimetic
amines have been
determined.
The basis for sympathetic-like activity of
various drugs depends upon the
similarity of their chemical structure to
that of the endogenous adrenergic
mediators norepinephrine and
epinephrine. The nucleus of this chemical
structure, β-phenylethylamine, is a
benzene ring and an ethylamine side
A
Figure 1: α = α receptor; β = β receptor; A = allergic reactions; B = bronchodilator (β2 receptor); C = cardiac stimulation (β1
receptor); CNS = central nervous system excitation; D = dopamine may interact with α, β1, and dopaminergic receptors; I =
indirect-acting, causes release of endogenous norepinephrine that acts on α and β receptors; K = renal vasodilation
(dopaminergic receptors); P = pressor activity; Rb = reflex bradycardia from pressor activation of baroreceptor-vagal reflex.

4. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 4
chain. Substitution may be made on the
aromatic ring, on the α and β carbons of
the side chain, and on the amine moiety.
The chemical structures and related
pharmacologic characteristics of several
adrenergic drugs are summarizedin table
below. Epinephrine, norepinephrine,
dopamine, and isoproterenol have a
hydroxyl group on both the 3 and 4
positions of the benzene ring. Because 3,
4-dihydroxybenzene is also known as
catechol, sympathomimetic amines
containing this nucleus are termed
catecholamines. In general, the catechol
nucleus is required for maximum α and β
potencies. Removal of one or both
hydroxyl groups from the aromatic ring
especially reduces β activity; e.g.,
phenylephrine is identical in structure to
epinephrine except for the lack of one
hydroxyl group on the ring (Table).
Phenylephrine is almost exclusively an α
agonist, whereas epinephrine is a mixed
α-β agonist. Substitution of a ring
hydroxyl group similarly reduces potency
and may actually yield an antagonist (i.e.,
an adrenergic blocking drug such as the β
blocker dichloroisoproterenol).
Substitution on the β-carbon atom of the
side chain results in less active central
actions in relation to peripheral effects.
Substitution on the α-carbon atom yields
a compound that is not susceptible to
oxidation by monoamine oxidase (MAO).
Alkyl substitutions on the amino moiety
affect the ratio of α- and β-agonistic
properties. Within limits, increasing the
size of the aliphatic substitution
increases β activity. Epinephrine (N-
methylnorepinephrine) is a more potent
β agonist than norepinephrine.
Isoproterenol (N-
isopropylnorepinephrine) is a more
potent β agonist than epinephrine or
norepinephrine. Naturally occurring
norepinephrine and epinephrine are in
the levo configuration at the β-carbon
atom. Dextrorotatory substitution on the
β carbon yields the many times less
potent d-isomers.
Adrenergic receptor subtypes:
pharmacologic applications.
Historically, the principal events
responsible for information transmission
across noradrenergic neuroeffector
junctions were believed to include only
the following: biosynthesis and storage
ofnorepinephrine in the neuron terminal;
exocytotic discharge of norepinephrine
from the neuron; activation of effector
cell α- or β-adrenergic receptors by
released norepinephrine; and active
“reuptake” of a portion of the free
norepinephrine back into the axon
terminal, thereby decreasing transmitter
availability at the postjunctional
receptors. We now know, however, that
α- and β-adrenergic receptors of effector
cells exist as subclasses and,
furthermore, that several types of
receptor-linked mechanisms operate
within the adrenergic nerve endings
themselves.
Prejunctional α Receptors.
The α-adrenergic receptors on the
sympathetic neuron are believed to be
important physiologically and
pharmacologically; they subserve an
autoinhibitory regulation of
norepinephrine release mechanisms. The
physiologic role of α-receptor
prejunctional events is envisioned as a
local servomechanism through which
norepinephrine can govern its own
release once a threshold concentration of
transmitter has been exceeded within
the junction.
Prejunctional β Receptors.
Epinephrine also can activate the pre-
junctional auto inhibitory α receptors,
with potency about equal to that of
norepinephrine. Interestingly, however,
low concentrations of epinephrine
actually accelerate norepinephrine
release. This facilitatory action is shared
by the β agonist isoproterenol and
prevented by β-blocking drugs. These
findings indicate that noradrenergic
nerve endings possess β receptors that
subserve a stimulatory effect on
transmitter release mechanisms, an
action opposite to that of the
prejunctional α receptor.
Norepinephrine itself seems to have little
influence on the prejunctional β-
autostimulatory receptors, perhaps
because this receptor population is more
representative of β2 rather than β1
subtype. Thus the α-controlled
autoinhibitory cycle probably dominates
during usual communication between
neuron and effector cell. A model of
noradrenergic neurohumoral
transmission incorporating prejunctional
α and β receptors is presented in Figure,
along with representative effector cells,
their prototypical receptor classes, and
associated physiologic responses.
Adrenergic Receptor
Classification.
The original differentiation of adrenergic
receptors into the two main classes, α
and β, was based mainly on the relative
potencies of the agonists
norepinephrine, epinephrine, and
isoproterenol in eliciting excitatory or
inhibitory effects in a series of tissues
(e.g., heart, vasculature, lungs).
The excitatory β receptors of the heart
represented an important exception to
this rule and pointed toward different
types of β receptors, named β1 and β2.
Later, α-receptors were likewise
separated into α1 and α2 subtypes. Since
then, virtually all receptor types have
been categorized into many receptor
subclasses with somewhat different
pharmacodynamics profiles. This text
will focus on the primary receptor types
until clinical relevance has been
determined for the plethora of receptor
subtypes now discovered.
β1- β2 Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes:
Partly because of the potent β-
stimulatory properties of norepinephrine
in some tissue (e.g., the heart), but not
others (e.g., the lungs), it was suggested
that β receptors actually comprised a
heterogeneous population of two
distinct subtypes: β1 and β2. Many
tissues contain both β1 and β2 receptors
in various ratios, depending on species
and other variables. One subtype usually
dominates and provides the tissue and
organ with their functional classifi cation

5. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 5
as being under either β1- or β2-receptor
control. A compilation of the
predominant β-receptor subtype in
several tissues.
Cardiac b1 Receptors. The functionally
prevalent β receptor in the myocardium
of most if not all mammalian species is
the β1 subtype. These receptors are
activated in the following order of
potency: isoproterenol > epinephrine >
norepinephrine. Activation of cardiac β1
receptors leads to the characteristic
sympathomimetic response of the heart
as schematized in Figure. In brief, this
entails positive inotropic effects
(increased contractility), positive
chronotropic effects (increased heart
rate), positive dromotropic effects
(accelerated conduction of the cardiac
impulse), and emergence of latent
pacemaker activity.
Increased heart rate and contractility
lead in turn to increased myocardial
oxygen demand and metabolic coronary
vasodilation.
Pulmonary and Vascular Smooth
Muscle β2 Receptors. The β-adrenergic
receptors of the pulmonary airways and
peripheral vascular beds are mainly the
β2 subtype. These receptors are
activated potently by isoproterenol and
epinephrine but quite poorly by
norepinephrine. The β2-pulmonary
receptors subserve relaxation of
bronchiolar smooth muscle and its
accompanying bronchodilation, leading
to an improvement in airway
conductance. Vascular smooth muscle
β2 receptors are present in various
tissues, where they mediate vasodilation
and reduced vascular resistance.
Although there is some uncertainty,
most β2-vascular receptors are probably
noninnervated and, as with the
pulmonary β2 receptors, depend mainly
on circulating epinephrine for activation
and basal adrenergic tone.
a1-a2 Receptor Subtypes. Alpha
receptors also can be divided into two
distinct subpopulations: α1 and α2. This
nomenclature began with the realization
that the pre-junctional α-receptor
population responded to drugs
somewhat differently than did the usual
α receptors of effector cells. This led to
classification of the typical
effector cell α receptor as α1
subtype, while the nerve
terminal receptor was
designated as α2.
Alpha2 receptors are not
restricted anatomically to
neuronal elements. They also
are located on some non-
innervated cell types, e.g.,
thrombocytes. Moreover, α2
receptors also share certain
tissue and functions with the
α1 subgroup. Pressor
responses mediated by
norepinephrine and
epinephrine, e.g., involve
activation of α1- and α2-
receptor types in vascular
smooth muscle. The α1
receptor represents the
innervated vascular receptors,
whereas the α2 type in this
tissue is believed to localize
predominantly in extra
synaptic regions of vascular
smooth muscle cells.
Endothelial cells of blood vessels also
have α2 receptors, which subserve
release of endothelium-derived relaxing
factor (EDRF) leading to vasodilation.
EDRF has been identified as nitric oxide
or a closely related compound that
releases nitric oxide Based on the
foregoing summary of α1-α2 and β1-β2
receptor subtypes and respective tissue
responses, it should be apparent that all
adrenergic drugs do not necessarily
produce identical effects. Their
pharmacologic profiles vary depending
upon their basic chemical structure and
resulting activities as α, β, or mixed α-β
agonists. Nevertheless,
sympathomimetic amines exhibit many
similar pharmacodynamic properties.
Therefore, only representative
adrenergic drugs will be examined in
detail; other agents will be compared in
relation to differences they may exhibit
in agonistic properties (i.e., activity at α
or β receptors) and in mechanisms of
action (i.e., direct- or indirectacting
sympathomimetic activity).
To be continued in next issue…..
Figure 2Schematic diagram of peripheral noradrenergic neuroeffector junctions with a model axon terminal
varicosity on the left and typical effector cells on the right. The predominant adrenoceptor subtypes and
associated physiologic responses of the heart, blood vessel, and bronchiole are depicted. Norepinephrine (NE)
released from the neuron can interact postjunctionally with innervated α1 or β1 receptors of effector cells and
perhaps overfl ow (dashed line) to other nearby postjunctional receptors. NE also can activate prejunctional α
receptors (α2 subtype) to inhibit further release of NE. NE is removed from the junctional cleft by diffusion,
extraneuronal uptake, and active uptake (reuptake) into the neuron, where it is metabolized by monoamine
oxidase (MAO) or reincorporated into storage vesicles. Prejunctional β receptors (β2 subtype) subserve a
facilitatory effect on NE release, but it is questionable (?) whether NE itself activates this β2-autostimulatory
feedback loop. NE also has little β2-agonist activity in blood vessels or bronchioles, whereas epinephrine (Epi)
can activate all types of α and β adrenoceptors. MVO2 = myocardial oxygen demand

6. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 6
Understanding Basic
Ruminology
By Dr. Abdul Qadir, Tehran
The forestomach of the ruminants can be
divided into primary structures,
reticulorumen and omosabomal are
separated by reticuloomasal orifice. The
reticulorumen of an adult cow occupies
almost the entire left half of the
abdominal cavity and has capacity of up
to 90 kg of digesta.
The establishment of rumen microbes in
newborn animals requires contact with
older animals at least 1-2 weeks. Live
weight gain is improved by greater
digestibility accompanied by higher level
of VFA, also higher ammonia level which
indicate a greater protein digestion by
rumen microbes.
The ciliates represent 2% of the weight of
the rumen content and increase in their
number two times within about one day
by means of binary fission in the rumen,
the almost same number of increased
ciliates flows to the posterior alimentary
tract of the host and digested in the
abomasum and small intestine as
nitrogen nutrients. The bacteria and
protozoa provide the ruminant with
cellulose digestion, protein and non
protein nitrogenous utilization, essential
amino acids, synthesis of vitamin B and
detoxication.
The cellulytic Gram negative bacteria
ferment carbohydrates producing acetic,
propioic and butyric volatile fatty acids.
The normal pH of the rumen ingesta is 6-
7 and maintained by alkalinity of saliva,
alkaline feed, buffering action of rumen
ingesta and by elimination of acids from
rumen by passage posteriorly. However
increase or decrease ruminal pH resulting
of indigestion. The animal control over
the fermentation process by selecting
the feed, adding a buffer like saliva,
continous agitation and mixing the
forestomach content. Retention of
ingesta in the rumenoreticulum for one
to three days allows sufficient time for
bacterial disintegration.
Bacteria obtain adequate nutrient from
their hydrolysis of the plant feeds.
Digestion of the feed stuffs in the
reticulorumen occurs by microbial
fermentation. The mucosal epithelium
absorbs and exchanges products of the
fermentation without secretory function.
Forestomach fermentation depends on:
(1)Amounts and types of ingested feed and
water.
(2)Buffering of saliva to counteract the acidity
of the fermentation products.
(3)Eructation of the gases produced by
fermentation.
(4)Reticuloruminal motility to provide mixing;
rumination, remastication and passage of
ingesta.
(5)Rumen temperature and exchanges of
electrolytes and volatile fatty acids across the
rumen wall.
Abnormalities of any one of these functions
can lead to digestive disturbances. Ruminal
motility is used as an index of digestive
function in the ruminants. Ruminal ingests
divided into upper layer of free gas, lower
layer of fluid containing gas bubbles and
suspended food particles but the undigested
fibers float on the top.
Omasum
Dilatation of omasal
canal
Contraction of
omasal
canal
♦Transport of feed
Contraction of
omasum
♦Contents
squeezed. Slow
Contraction of
omasal canal.
♦Emptying of
omasal canal.
Reticulorumen
Two contractions of reticulum and reticuloruminal fold
* Reticular contents pass over reticuloruminal fold into rumen.
Contraction of ruminal atrium, dorsal blind sac and ruminal pillar.
Movement of reticular fluid over reticulorumin fold into relaxed rumen.
*Passage of coarse particles over the ruminal pillar into dorsal blind sac.
*Movement of dorsal sac results in squeezing and mixing of solid
Contraction of ventral sac and pillar of rumen with relaxation of dorsal sac.
* Fluid part of rumen contents returns to dorsal sac and ruminal atrium
and is forced through the fibrous matter.
Contraction of dorsal sac and pillar of rumen.
♦Transfer of accumulated gut contents to the cardia resulting in
eructation.
Reticular contraction prior to stage 1.
Reticular bolus projected into mouth.
Ruminal
Cycle
Stage 1
Result
Stage 2
Result
Stage 3
Result
Stage 4
Result
Eructation

7. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 7
1. Unlawful or criminal killing of
animals through administration of
poisons is known as ______
2. Unintentional addition of toxicants or
contaminants to feed and water is known
as _______
3. Man-made sources of toxicants are
referred to as______________ sources.
4. Genetically determined abnormal
reactivity of an individual to a chemical is
known as
___________.
5. Failure to elicit a response to an
ordinary dose of a substance due prior
exposure is known as _____________.
6. The phenomenon in which toxic
substances elicits beneficial effects at low
doses is known as ________________.
7. For which of the following route of
exposure, pre-systemic elimination is
possible?
a. Oral b. Inhalation c. Intramuscular d.
Intravenous
8. In the event of irreparable injury, the
cell undergoes a process of programmed
cell death known as__________.
A substance is classified as extremely
toxic if the lethal dose (LD) is LESS THAN
_____mg/kg and as practically non-toxic
if the LD is ______5 g/kg.
10. The ability of a substance to induce
cancer is known as ________________.
11. The common process involved in the
absorption of xenobiotics across the cell
membrane is _______________.
12. In body, heavy metals such as
mercury, lead, cadmium tend to
accumulate in ___________ (organ of the
body).
13. Organo-chlorine insecticides such as
DDT tendto accumulate in ____________
(organ of the body).
14. Arsenic tends to accumulate in _____
and ________ (organ of the body).
15. Major route of excretion for
xenobiotics is ______________.
16. Ninety-nine percent of the molecules
inside living cells are ____ molecules.
17. All non-essential lipids can be
generated from ______.
18. Mammalian proteins are largely
composed of ____ standard amino acids.
19. At physiologic pH, most amino acids
exist as ______.
20. Cystine covalently links different
regions of polypeptide chains with
______ bonding.
21. The ____(D/L) form of amino acids is
found in most mammalian proteins.
22. ______ and _____ are needed for
elastin formation.
23. ________ is an essential amino acid
for cats.
24. The most abundant protein in the
mammalian organism is:
a. Myosin b. Albumin
c. Actin d. Collagen
25. Vitamin C is required in the formation
of which modified amino acid below?
a. Methylhistidine
b. Hydroxyproline
c. Desmosine
d. Homoserine
26. Urease:
a. Is a urea cycle enzyme found in liver
tissue.
b. Is also known as arginase.
c. Is a proteolytic enzyme secreted by the
exocrine pancreas.
d. Is an enzyme found in microbes of the
rumen.
27. Match the following
Drug Target Enzyme
1.Allopurinol a. COX 2
2. Aspirin b.Xanthine Oxidase
3. Methotrexate3.c.Dihydrofolate
Rreductase
4.Tolfenamic
acid
d. Thymidylate
Synthase
5. 5-Fluorouracil e. COX - 1,2
Note for students: This initiative have
been taken for students who are preparing
for JRF, SRF, NET, ARS, ICMAR and other
such exams. I request to all of the readers
to contribute in the collective effort to
make it more beneficial and fruitful. You
can send memory based questions that
came in ICAR JRF, ARS, SRF or other
exams. Please send your contribution to
following email id.
ibnester@gmail.com

8. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 8
his question is most ignored
and uncategorized in
veterinary education and its
associated system. One can hardly
heard about any startup company
begin by any skilled veterinary
graduate. Many pro and against
arguments may be given by
intellectuals but hardline comparison
with other sectors cannot be done on
just superficial achievements. Since
independence agriculture sector
remain the backbone of rural
economy at least, which drives life of
nearly 90% of rural population.
Animalfarminglikedairy,poultryand
goat are main assets kept by farmers
besides growing crops.
Livestock and poultry are highly
integrated into the economic
activities of rural people and any
improvement in production of such
animals will directly impact the
economic status of rural people.
Since beginning of dairy revolution
initiated by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
in Gujarat many successes have been
registered in different fields of
agriculture and allied sectors. These
achievements are legendarily known
as white revolution, green revolution,
blue revolution, yellow revolution
and list is ever growing. Two very
famous names has always been
remembered one of Dr Swaminathan
for green revolution and other of Dr
Vargeshe Kurien for white revolution.
They have brought the system in and
infuse western knowledge and
science in desi conditions.
Other notable personalities with
strong agriculture entrepreneurship
drive was Dr BV Rao, also known as
father of Indian poultry industry and
Shri B. Saundarajan, who gave the
system of integration in poultry
production, Er. Shri Vinod Kapur of
Keggs farm, who went a way around
and developed a new chicken breed
called kuroiler. I personally admired
from Mr Vinod
since I took
admission in B.V.Sc in 2006 because
in this year his business model was
presented as case study in Harvard
Business School. What change he
brought in society is a matter of
investigation I left for my readers.
There are endless examples of
entrepreneurs who bring livestock
sector to new heights of success and
development and ultimately these
enterprises bring prosperity among
rural masses and brighten the rural
economy.
To my surprise nobody of these
revolutionaries was
veterinarian and of course I agreed
that being a vet was not an eligibility
to do these businesses. But could we
able to question ourselves that these
things wouldn’t be accomplished
without an extra active participation
of field veterinarians. Even
veterinarians put their all efforts
without any recognition. One can put
a counter argument that
veterinarians believes in work and
people welfare without any greed of
prestige and recognition. For those I
would like to say that famous
personalities of any profession gave
name and acknowledgement to
profession than only other people get
mesmerized and want to choose that
profession so that profession
progresses.
We cannot hide from the fact that
most of the people who take
admission in veterinary science are
those who didn’t qualify for medical
T
Does anything exist like Veterinary entrepreneurship?
by Dr. Ibne Ali,
Figure 2 Vinod Kapoor , begins his social
enterprise in 1990s which is now become huge
social success

9. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 9
seat. For example, music reality
shows are very popular now a days
and lacs of youth gave audition to be
selected in these shows, what thing
attracts them for such profession.
Most of the people who compete in
these shows are greatly influenced by
lavish lifestyles of celebrities.
So, profession get respect due to the
persons who are professing the
profession. One of the most famous
achievement Embryo Transfer
Technology, successfully
implemented by award winner
scientist and academician Dr, ML
Madan, which could have huge
potential to become startup idea for
institutions but it was buried after its
whimsical success. This technique
was so technical and sophisticated
that it can’t be done by other persons
except veterinarian. ETT could
change the face of buffalo productive
performance many times if applied
on commercial basis. No doubt that
this is very sophisticated technique
and require much expertise and well
equipped labs. Our institutions are
full of these facilities and if not than
government can easily sanction such
facilities on demand because it is
related to the development of poor
masses.
Figure 3 Soundararajan and his brother introduced
the concept of contract farming in poultry in Tamil
Nadu in 1990
Although ETT is very common in
European countries and even in
Brazil, where they have developed
Brahmin cattle of Indian origin and
other cattle breeds of temperate
climate with this technique. This
means it was not impossible to make
this technique commercial. There is
little fault of government as such,
because government and its
employees can’t work for enterprise
profit and should only work for
farmers’ welfare. But counter
arguments throws light on it by
saying that welfare of farmers can’t
be achieved without
commercialization of technologies.
One more notable name, Dr. S.K.
Ranjan, who dedicate years of hard
work and dedication in the field of
animal nutrition and brought first
feeding standards for Indian livestock
and poultry. After retirement he
joined one meat export company at
prestigious position. Under his
supervision and guidance that
company achieved greater heights of
success. He introduce a concept of
contract farming in Aligarh, where
farmers was involved contract
farming in which they grow buffalo
calves for Hind Agro. Rural masses
was involved in this and earn
handsomely in this system. It is not
just the question of earning money
but it have very broader impact on
overall lifestyle of present and
coming generation. For young
veterinary students it should be keep
in mind that veterinary field is
absolutely unexplored ocean of
opportunities. It just require patience
and calibrated sincere approach
towards goal. There are numerous
openings where young blood can
explore their heightened future with
promising returns and self-
satisfaction. One of the area is
pregnancy diagnosis in farm animals,
a kit could have been made and
commercialize. Other areas are like
commercialization of ETT, animal
stress determination kits, stem cell
therapy, pet nutrition etc.
Nevertheless, these things cannot be
happen without government
support, Government should provide
logistics like labs and other financial
assistance in PPP mode.
Veterinarian needs to be daring and
get ready to take risk in new areas.
Students must have to come out
from the game of safe play and at the
same time government should stand
besides new startups to encourage
the students to become
entrepreneurs. Self-reliance is
necessary this make our youth pro
poor and accountable for their
activities.Economicparlance willalso
get settled and new energy would
come out which gives a new light to
glow our noble profession Veterinary
and that’s how a veterinary
entrepreneur is created.
Figure 4 Moti Lal Madan, DVM, Ph.D. (Left) is an Indian biotechnology researcher, veterinarian, academic
and administrator.

10. VETRECKON – DIGITAL VETERINARY MAGAZINE Issue #
By Dr Neha Chahutrvedi, MVSc, Biochemistry
Although amino acids are metabolized
extensively throughout the body, urea
synthesis occurs primarily in the liver,
with minor amounts also formed in
astrocytes of the brain.
In ureotelic animals, urea is the primary
form in which nitrogen appears in urine.
The two primary pathways by which
nitrogen is transferred from amino acids
to urea involve transamination and
deamination reactions.
Transaminases channel amino groups
from several amino acids into glutamate
(Glu), which can then be deaminated by
glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), or
the amino group can be transaminated
onto oxaloacetate (OAA), thus forming
aspartate (Asp) and a-ketoglutarate (a-
KG). Carbon dioxide (CO2 in the form of
bicarbonate, HCO3-), the ammonium ion
(NH4+) generated from deamination of
glutamine (Gln) or Glu, or from ammonia
(NH3) entering directly from portal
blood, and Asp now become substrates
for hepatic urea synthesis.
The overall stoichiometry for the urea
cycle (also known as the Krebs-Henseleit
ornithine cycle), can be described by the
following equation:
The concentration of NH3 in portal blood
is usually high following a protein meal,
and it may be transiently increased by the
release of additional NH4+ from hepatic
glutaminase and GLDH activity.
Ammonia is an allosteric activator of
glutaminase. However, by the time
hepatic portal blood reaches the
systemic circulation, the NH3
concentration has usually been reduced
by about 50-fold.
Different hepatocytes lying along the
sinusoid have different complements of
active enzymes. Periportal hepatocytes,
located near the portal vein, are the first
liver cells to receive blood from the
intestine, and they are rich in carbonic
anhydrase (CA), glutaminase, GLDH, and
urea cycle enzyme activity. Bicarbonate
generation in these hepatocytes is
dependent upon CA activity, which in
turn is influenced by the acid/base status.
During periods of metabolic acidosis, for
example, hepatic portal CO2 and HCO3 -
concentrations decrease, and the low pH
environment inhibits activity of
hepatocellular CA and glutaminase,
thereby limiting substrate availability for
the urea cycle.
The five reactions required in periportal
hepatocytes for urea formation are
depicted in. The first two occur in
mitochondria, and the last three in the
cytoplasm. Starvation or an increased
protein intake can alter concentrations of
individual urea cycle enzymes 10- to 20-
fold.
Carbamoyl Phosphate Formation
Mitochondrial carbamoyl phosphate
formation, the first and also rate-limiting
reaction in the urea cycle, is catalyzed by
carbamoyl phosphate synthetase-1
(CPS-1). A CPS-2 exists in the cytoplasm,
however, it uses a different nitrogen
source, and participates in pyrimidine
nucleotide rather than urea biosynthesis
(see Chapter 14). N-Acetyl glutamate,
whose steady state level is determined
by the rates of its synthesis from acetyl-
CoA and Glu, is a cofactor required as an
allosteric activator of
CPS-1. Under the influence of CPS-1,
HCO3-,NH4+, 2ATP and H2O are
condensed in the formation of carbamoyl
phosphate, 2ADP, and an inorganic
phosphate (Pi).
Citrulline Formation
The second reaction, catalyzed by
ornithine transcarbamoylase, involves
mitochondrial condensation of
carbamoyl phosphate with ornithine,
thus forming citrulline and Pi. A citrulline-
ornithine antiporter, which transports
ornithine into mitochondria in exchange
for citrulline, is located in the inner
mitochondrial membrane. Both
ornithine and citrulline are basic amino
acids, and citrulline can also be formed in
mucosal cells of the gut.
Argininosuccinate Formation
The third reaction, catalyzed by
argininosuccinate synthetase, involves
cytoplasmic condensation of citrulline
with aspartate, thus forming
argininosuccinate. Linkage occurs via the
a- amino group of aspartate, which
ultimately provides the second nitrogen
of urea. Energy required for this
condensation is provided by the
hydrolysis of ATP to AMP and 2Pi, and
Overview
Urea synthesis occurs primarily
in the liver.
• Portal-caval shunts and acquired
or inherited defects in urea cycle
enzymes promote
hyperammonemia.
• Aspartate serves as a nitrogen
donor in the cytoplasmic phase of
hepatic urea formation.
• Mitochondrial carbamoyl
phosphate formation is rate-
limiting in hepatic urea formation.
• A mitochondrial citrulline-
ornithine antiporter exists in the
inner mitochondrial membrane of
periportal hepatocytes.
• Fumarate, generated in the
cytoplasmic portion of the urea
cycle, can either be reutilized
therein, or it may leak away into the
TCA cycle.
• Urea nitrogen is used by rumen
microbes for protein biosynthesis.
• Arginase is a liver-specific
enzyme.
• Taurine is essential amino acid in
cats.

11. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 11
this reaction can also occur in the
kidneys.
Arginine and Fumarate Formation
The fourth reaction (which can also occur
in the kidneys), catalyzed by
argininosuccinase, involves cleavage of
argininosuccinate into arginine and
fumarate (i.e., the carbon skeleton of
aspartate). Fumarate now forms a link
with other pathways, including
cytoplasmic reformation of aspartate, or
entry into the mitochondrial tricarboxylic
acid (TCA) cycle. Fumarate is hydrated to
form malate in the presence of fumarase,
an enzyme found in both mitochondria
and the cytoplasm of liver cells. The
malate so formed may be shuttled into
mitochondria to enter the TCA cycle, or it
may be converted to pyruvate {by malic
enzyme (ME)} or oxaloacetic acid (OAA)
{by malate dehydrogenase (MD)}. The
OAA may then undergo transamination
by accepting an amino group from Glu to
reform aspartate (see Chapter 9), thus
completing an entirely cytoplasmic
transamination route for entry of
nitrogen into the urea cycle.
Urea Formation
The fifth reaction, catalyzed by
cytoplasmic Mn++-containing arginase,
involves removal of the urea side chain
from arginine, thus forming ornithine,
which is then transported back into
mitochondria to undergo another cycle
of urea biosynthesis. Urea, being
sufficiently lipophilic and, unlike NH3, a
nontoxic end product of mammalian
metabolism, diffuses out of periportal
liver cells into blood.
Disposal of Urea
The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) pool is
freely filtered by the kidneys, with about
50% of that filtered being normally
reabsorbed into blood. The other 50% is
normally excreted into urine. The high
BUN levels that often occur in patients
with kidney disease are generally
considered to be a consequence, not a
cause, of impaired renal function.
Although approximately 75% of the BUN
pool is ultimately excreted through urine,
about 25% normally moves into the
digestive tract where bacterial urease
activity is high. The NH3 formed can be
funneled into bacterial protein synthesis,
or be absorbed directly into the hepatic
portal circulation. Urea enters the
reticulorumen through salivation, or
directly from the circulation, and it also
diffuses across mucosal cells of the colon.
That entering the rumen endogenously
each day is equal to about 12% of normal
daily dietary nitrogen intake.
Rumen microbes are capable of
synthesizing all essential and
nonessential amino acids for their own
protein biosynthetic purposes. This can
occur from nonprotein nitrogen (NPN,
such as urea), and appropriate
hydrocarbons (from cellulose). Ruminant
animals can grow, reproduce, and
lactate, although not at optima.
Dietary protein is generally required,
however, for optimal growth and
function.
Due to high bacterial urease activity in
the rumen, the [NH3] there usually
ranges from 5 to 8 mg/dl (mg%). Since
NH3 is a buffer {i.e., it can accept a proton
(H+)}, excess urea can raise the [NH3] of
rumen fluid, thus causing it to become
more alkaline. Therefore, too much
dietary protein or urea can lead to a
metabolic alkalosis in ruminant animals,
and make it more difficult for the rumen
wall to absorb volatile fatty acids (i.e.,
butyrate, propionate, and acetate)
produced through microbial cellulose
digestion. These essential metabolites
are more readily absorbed when in the
unionized, free acid form. The normal
rumen pH range is 5 to 7.
Abnormalities in Urea Biosynthesis
Certain liver diseases that affect the urea
cycle, particularly acquired or inherited
defects in any one of the five urea cycle
enzymes, may have severe
consequences for the mammalian
organism since there are no alternative
pathways for urea biosynthesis. For
example, arginosuccinate synthetase
deficiency, although rare, has been
reported in dogs. Patients exhibit protein
intolerance, hyperammonemia, and a
hepato-encephalopathy which leads to
CNS depression, coma, and death if left
untreated. Treatment generally requires
measures to control the
hepatoencephalopathy, including a low-
protein diet and oral antibiotics. Vascular
abnormalities that shunt portal blood
into the systemic circulation without
perfusing hepatic sinusoids (i.e., portal-
caval shunts) compromise the liver's
ability to detoxify NH3 through the urea
cycle, and many other liver diseases are
known as well to result in decreased urea
cycle enzyme activity with
hyperammonemia. Cats with arginase
deficiency, or those fed diets low in
arginine, generally require more dietary
ornithine. Arginase is liver-specific since
it is restricted to the urea cycle, and when
it leaks into blood following
hepatocellular damage it is usually
cleared from the circulation faster than
the transaminases (ALT and AST).
Therefore, a decrease in the serum
activity of this enzyme can sometimes be
a useful prognostic indicator of liver cell
regeneration following acute liver injury.

12. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 12
Interesting
Animal Facts
Gorillas can catch human cold and
other illnesses.
A newborn Chinese water deer is so
small it can almost be held in the
palm of the hand.
Ostriches can run faster than horses,
and the males can roar like lions.
A lion in the wild usually makes no
more than twenty kills a year.
The female lion does ninety percent
of the hunting.
The only dog that doesn’t have a pink
tongue is the chow.
Turtles, water snakes, crocodiles,
alligators, dolphins, whales, and
other water going creatures will
drown if kept underwater too long.
Almost half the pigs in the world are
kept by farmers in China.
On average, dogs have better
eyesight than humans, although not
as colourful.
Deer have no gall bladders.
There is an average of 50,000 spiders
per acre in green areas.
Snakes are carnivores, which means
they only eat animals, often small
ones such as insects, birds, frogs and
other small mammals.
In Alaska it is illegal to whisper in
someone’s ear while they’re moose
hunting.
The bat is the only mammal that can
fly.
The leg bones of a bat are so thin that
no bat can walk.
Some male songbirds sing more than
2000 times each day.
The only mammals to undergo
menopause are elephants,
humpback whales and human
females.
Blue-eyed lemurs are one of two
(non-human) primates to have truly
blue eyes.
A tarantula spider can survive for
more than two years without food.
For every human in the world there
are one million ants.
If you lift a kangaroo’s tail off the
ground it can’t hop – they use their
tails for balance.
If you keep a goldfish in a dark room,
it will become pale!
Cows can sleep standing up, but they
can only dream lying down.
The sentence “The quick brown fox
jumps over a lazy dog.” uses every
letter of the alphabet.
The average fox weighs 14 pounds.
The scientific name of the red fox is
Vulpes vulpes.
Alligators can live up to 100 years.
A single elephant tooth can weigh as
much as 9 pounds.
The turkey is one of the most famous
birds in North America.
A housefly hums in the key of F.
During World War II, Americans tried
to train bats to drop bombs.
Canis lupus lupus is the scientific
name for a grey wolf.
To escape the grip of a crocodile’s
jaw, push your thumb into its
eyeballs-it will let you go instantly.
It is much easier for dogs to learn
spoken commandsiftheyare given in
conjunction with hand signals or
gestures.
Even a small amount of alcohol
placed on a scorpion will make it go
crazy and sting itself to death!
Male rabbits are called “bucks,”
females are “does.”
The flamingo can only eat when its
head is upside down.
Animals generate 30 times more
waste than humans which is 1.4
billion tons every year.
Ants never sleep. Also they don’t
have lungs.
Agroup ofowls is called a parliament.
Just one cow gives off enough
harmful methane gas in a single day
to fill around 400 litre bottles.
Apple andpear seeds contain arsenic,
which may be deadly to dogs.
Cows have four stomachs.
An anteater is nearly 6 feet long, yet
its mouth is only an inch wide.
The blue whale weighs as much as
thirty elephants and is as long as
three Greyhound buses.
A herd of sixty cows is capable of
producing a ton of milk in less than a
day.
A grasshopper can leap 20 times the
length of its own body.
At birth, baby kangaroos are only
about an inch long – no bigger than a
large water bug or a queen bee.
The smell of a skunk can be detected
by a human a mile away.
There is a butterfly in Africa with
enough poison in its body to kill six
cats!

13. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 13
Newly discovered properties about the
venom of a deadly and strikingly
beautiful snake - dubbed the "killer of
killers" - may lead to new pain treatments
for humans. A new international study of
the blue coral snake finds its unique
venom paralyzes its prey in a different
way to that ofother paralyzing poisonous
snakes. Its usefulness to pain
management could lie in the way it acts
on a type of sodium channel, say the
researchers.
The team - including scientists from
Australia, China, Singapore, and the
United States - reports the findings in the
journal Toxins. The German philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche once said, "That
which does not kill us, makes us
stronger."
Whether one agrees with Nietzsche or
not, it cannot be denied that his assertion
serves as a useful maxim for the medical
use of venom toxins. This natural source
of bioactive compounds has given rise to
drugs that relieve pain and treat a range
of ailments, including cancer, diabetes,
obesity, and heart failure.
The study of venoms shows that the toxic
proteins and amino acids they contain
known as peptides - act on cell receptors
and ion channels, controlling how cells
behave. The range of medical
applications is vast and continues to
grow. For example, a recently published
study suggests that tarantula venom
might be used to treat irritable bowel
syndrome, while another earlier one
proposed milking the venom of deadly
jellyfish could lead to new medicines.
However, it was only recently that this
vast and disparate knowledge was
brought under one roof, when a team
recently compiled
an open-source
library that
documents nearly
43,000 effects on
the human body
produced by the
application of venom toxins.
Venom delivers 'massive shock'
The motive for the new study stems from
a desire to better understand the
fascinating evolution of venoms. These
predatory and defensive weapons have
evolved over millions of years and today
are used by over 173,000 species in the
wild. The South-East Asian long-glanded
blue coral snake Calliophis bivirgatus is
unusual among snakes in that it preys on
other venomous snakes that move fast
and also present a significant danger to
itself - such as young king cobras.
This "killer of killers" - with its electric
blue stripes and neon red head and tail -
is one of the world's most beautiful
snakes, and yet, despite its notoriety, the
coral snake's venom has remained largely
unstudied, note the researchers.
Another striking feature is the blue coral
snake's venom glands. Possibly the
biggest venom glands of any poisonous
species found so far, they extend over a
quarter of the length of the snake's body.
When they investigated its properties,
the researchers found that the coral
snake's venom "produces spastic
paralysis, in contrast to the flaccid
paralysis typically produced by
neurotoxic snake venoms." The venom
delivers a massive shock to the prey's
nervous system, triggering full body
spasms by causing all nerves to fire at
once.
Venom turns off sodium channels
One of the senior and corresponding
authors, Bryan G. Fry, an associate
professor in
the School of
Biological
Sciences at
the
University of
Queensland
in Australia, says: "This style of
venomous predation is identical to that
of a cone snail, and not like any other
snake in the world."
The cone snail's venom induces rigid
paralysis in its prey. The caught fish's
muscles tense up in a spasm like that of
tetanus. "This keeps the fish from
escaping the immobile snail," Prof. Fry
explains. "Now it has been shown there is
a snake that kills the same way."
While the venom acts fast, it does not kill
immediately. Instead, it instantly
switches on all the nerves of the fast-
moving prey - which is also a predator -
rendering it frozen and immobile.
The venom does this "by preventing the
nerves from turning off their sodium
channels, keeping the nerve firing
continuously," says Prof. Fry.
The team concludes that the coral
snake's venom toxin demonstrates a
"remarkable case of functional
convergence between invertebrate and
vertebrate venom systems in response to
similar selection pressures." They note
that the discovery also "reinforces the
value of using evolution as a roadmap for
biodiscovery."
VETERINARY
AROUND THE GLOBE
Deadly snake's
unique paralyzing
venom may lead to
new pain treatments

14. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 14
Source – The Guardian
he children in the villages
around the Indian city of
Nabha in Punjab state all know
what Horlicks is, although few have
tasted it. The malted milk drink,
manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline
(GSK), is produced at the Horlicks
plant in Nabha, which sources from
around 1,500 dairy farmers in the
surrounding area.
But after several years of severe
drought in a region already heavily
reliant on groundwater, water
reserves are in decline and fodder for
cows is becoming more expensive.
This is making dairy production
increasingly difficult in one of the
highest milk-producing states in the
country – itself the world’s largest
national producer of dairy.
GSK is not the only big business
facing drought-related problems in
Punjab. Danone buys 50,000 – 80,000
litres of milk from 5,000 farmers in
100 villages in the state, and Nestlé
sources more than 300m litres of milk
from 100,000 farmers in three Indian
states, including Punjab. To ensure a
steady supply of milk, these
companies have set up long-term
sustainability projects in Punjab’s
villages. But, as water shortages
worsen, can they protect dairy
farmers from the potentially
devastating effects of continuous
droughts?
India’s ‘white revolution’ under
threat
In 2012, Punjab’s chief minister
Parkash Singh Badal called for a
“white revolution”, encouraging the
state’s farmers to take up dairy since,
he said, most were too reliant on
wheat-paddy rotation crops with slim
profit margins.
This revolution requires water. One
cow consumes approximately 150
litres of drinking water a day. Water is
also needed to produce fodder for
cows. Fertile lands and good
infrastructure in the state such as
dams and irrigation systems have
helped stave off the kind of acute
water shortages witnessed in other
parts of India over the last few
decades. But the severity of the latest
El Niño weather cycle has led to
unprecedented temperatures,
causing rivers, lakes and dams to dry
up in many parts of northern India. In
Punjab, low rainfall has decreased
crop yields and put a huge strain on
the state’s diminishing groundwater
resources.
“In the winter, cows can graze in the
fields. But in the summer when
there’s no rain we have to buy
fodder,” says Harpreet Singh, a dairy
farmer from the village of Issi who
supplies milk to Horlicks. “It’s a big
problem for us ... The cost of fodder
keeps increasing but the price of milk
stays fixed, so the entire business is in
decline.” Harpreet Singh makes
approximately 50,000 rupees (£570)
profit a month in the winter, but says
his losses in the summer leave him
without savings. Horlicks’ farmers
aren’t the only ones facing this crisis.
On its website, Nestlé says: “Largely
due to local over-exploitation by
agriculture, industry and domestic
use, the local water table is dropping
by up to a metre a year and could
affect the supply of milk in our Moga
milk district [in Punjab].”
Industry support
To help farmers like Harpreet Singh
cut down costs, GSK has set up
education camps where farmers
learn how to make their own silage
from surplus grass, which can be used
as cow feed in the dry season. Even
though he’s feeling the pressure,
Harpreet Singh says this is helping:
“It’s a lot of effort, but in the summer
it means we spend much less on
buying fodder.”
GSK also produces a magazine
offering dairy farmers advice on
topics such as water reuse. The
initiatives are an effort to keep the
dairy business booming: “Our hope is
that, through working together, we
can help local farmers remain in
business, assuring our supply of milk
for Horlicks,” says a company
spokesperson.
Danone, which makes Activia
yoghurt, started sourcing milk from
Punjab in 2012. Last year, the
company set up Punjab 2020, an
initiative which educates farmers in
ways to improve soil quality by
reducing fertiliser use so it retains
more water, and maximise milk
production in the context of drought.
T
VETERINARY
AROUND THE GLOBE
Dairy in distress: the
milk revolution
draining Punjab dry

15. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 15
About 7,000 farmers have already
gone through the company’s
Academilk training programme andit
has invested €570,000 (£508,000) to
expand the programmes to 60 more
villages.
As part of Danone’s programme, the
company provides communal chilling
facilities, enabling those with even
one or two cows to earn an income
without having to invest in expensive
coolers. “It is a win-win situation as it
ensures a sustainable livelihood for
the farmer while securing the milk
supplies for Danone,” said a company
spokesperson.
The groundwater dilemma
Vibha Dhawan, senior director at the
Energy Resources Institute, says that
while companies are helping provide
short-term solutions to prevent the
dairy industry’s collapse, the urgent
problem of groundwater over-
extraction still needs to be
addressed.
Cost isn’t the only problem for those
relying on groundwater. “As
groundwater levels go down,”
explains Dhawan, “the risk of arsenic
or lead poisoning in the water
increases because heavy metals
settle lower down. If farmers keep
extracting as they have ... the
quality of the water, which
ultimately goes into our milk, will
also reduce.”
While the companies have not yet
found solutions to this, Nestlé has
started funding research with the
International Water Management
Institute to understand the causes of
groundwater depletion in the area
surrounding its factory, in the Moga
district. The research – which the
company runs alongside wider
farmer support programmes, such as
cattle feeding, breeding, and
veterinary support – includes a six-
month pilot project investigating the
company’s water footprint from milk.
Dhawan believes the Punjab
government is partly to
blame for the groundwater
crisis as it subsidises
electricity for water
extraction. Big companies
and the government need to
start investing in water-wise
technology, she says, such as
sub-soil irrigation, where
pipes supply the soil at root
level so less water is lost
through evaporation, or
precision agriculture
methods, where farms are
monitored by computer so
exact amounts of inputs can
be applied.
“These are already
technologies that exist, but
they need to be made
available to farmers,” says
Dhawan.
Mysuru district
administration urged
to set up fodder
banks
The Animal Husbandry
Department has made an appeal
to the district administration to
set up fodder banks in 16 dry
places in the district to tackle the
problem of fodder shortage.
P.M. Prasad Murthy, Deputy
Director, Animal Husbandry
Department, told The Hindu that
tonnes of fodder will be stored in
these fodder banks and will be
sold to farmers at half of the
original price. Except a few
villages — which have irrigation
facilities — most of the villages are
experiencing fodder shortage and
farmers are finding it difficult to
feed fodder to their animals, he
said.
There are over 5,43,000 head of
cattle, including buffaloes, in the
district, he said, adding the
number is about 10 lakh if other
animals, including goats and
sheep, are included. Four fodder
banks each in Mysuru and
Nanjangud taluks, two each in
Hunsuru, H.D. Kote and
Piriyapatna taluks and one each in
T. Narasipur and K.R. Nagar taluks
have been sought. The district is
witnessing fodder shortage as all
the seven taluks are reeling under
drought and crops have been
damaged in most parts of the
district, Mr. Prasad Murthy said,
adding that the fodder stock
available with a few farmers may
last for a few more weeks.

16. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 16
Identify Disease
Condition
You are presented with a 5-year-
old Holstein cow 3 days after
assisted delivery of live twins. The
cow has a daily milk yield of only
12 L. On clinical examination the
cow is dull and depressed,
inappetant, with a poor milk yield.
The cow is febrile with a rectal
temperature of 40.2°C (104.4°F).
The cow has diarrhoea but there is
no evidence of blood or mucosal
casts in the faeces. The mucous
membranes are congested. The
vulva is slightly swollen with
evidence of a red–brown fluid
discharge. At least one placenta is
retained.
i. What is your diagnosis?
ii. What treatments would you
consider?
iii. What are the possible
consequences?
iv. What factors are believed to
contribute to retained placenta?
A pigeon loft owner reported
multiple problems in his loft of
racing pigeons, including birds
with swollen hock or wing joints,
increased numbers of dead-in-
shells and clear eggs, mortality in
young squabs and diarrhoea with
marked weight loss. An occasional
bird exhibited nervous signs such
as twisting of the neck and
difficulty feeding.
i. What is the most likely
diagnosis?
ii. How would you attempt to
treat and control this disease?
iii. How would you differentiate
this disease clinically from other
causes of nervous disease in
pigeons?
- Answers will be
published in next
issue

17. VETRECKON SUBTITLE | Issue # 2 17
Inject correctly

18. VETRECKON – DIGITAL VETERINARY MAGAZINE Issue #
Vetreckon
Veterinary
Science Magazine
NFC, Okhla, New Delhi
Delhi – 110025
Dear Readers,
This is our second issue
with the sole aim to
serve the veterinary
education in India. With
time and your precious
suggestions we will
improve in future. For
the same, your articles,
suggestions & ads are
invited. Please write us
on following address
ibnester@gmail.com
+91-9557907955