Eurasian Journal of Veterinary Sciences - 2026; 42(1) - Current Issue

Gender Determination of Foramen Magnum and Occipital Condyles in Dogs Using Computed Tomography

Sedat Aydogdu, Yusuf Altundag, Muhammed Taha Temir — 2026-03-01

The foramen magnum (FM) and occipital condyles (OC) are important anatomical features in anthropology and zooarchaeology for the identification of breeds, species, and gender. The present study aimed to determine the gender of dogs using morphometric measurements of the FM and OC. A total of 27 healthy dogs without any pathology, 11 females and 16 males, were used in this study. Morphometric measurements were performed on tomography images of the dogs' heads. Before morphometric measurements were made on the images obtained in DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) format, interactive MPR (Multi-Planar Reformat) and positioning were performed in ITK-SNAP software. After rotation and positioning, eight different morphometric measurements were performed on the FM and OC using ITK-SNAP software. According to the morphometric measurement results, no statistical difference was determined in the length of the right OC(LROC), length of the left OC (LLOC), width of the right OC (WROC), width of the left OC (WLOC), intercondylar width (ICW), intercondylar distance (ICD), and internal width of the FM (IWFM) in female and male dogs. A difference was observed in the internal length of the FM (ILFM) parameter, which was found to be statistically significantly higher in males. It is thought that the morphometric measurement results obtained from the FM and OC of dogs will contribute to zooarchaeological and anthropological studies examining the differences between gender and head structure in dogs.

Immunohistochemical Distribution of Desmin and Vimentin in Bovine Spleen During Fetal Development

Ugur Topaloglu, Mehmet Erdem Akbalik, Ayse Durmaz Ciga, Abdullah Said Tekin — 2026-03-01

As one of the largest secondary lymphoid organs, the spleen, besides having a key role in filtering the blood, supporting the lymphocyte differentiation as well as maintaining immune system control, is the centre of haematopoiesis during the fetal period. Such essential cellular processes as cell maintenance, cell division and communication between cells are regulated by intermediate filaments. Among these filaments, vimentin and desmin play an important role in keeping mechanical strength and giving support to the cellular differentiation processes. Therefore, the presented study aims to find out how immunohistochemical distributions of vimentin and desmin are done in the fetal bovine spleen during gestation periods. In this study, from each gestational period, 10 spleen tissue samples were collected. Before serial sections were prepared and stained immunohistochemically, those spleen tissue samples were processed via basic histological procedures and embedded in paraffin. The study demonstrate that vimentin and desmin exhibited various levels of staining intensity within splenic cell during gestation. As a result, throughout prenatal development, vimentin and desmin proteins have been seen to have different dynamics with regards to the staining intensity and distribution in the spleen. With this study, it was concluded that proteins from both might have a crucial role in giving contribution to the essential biological processes, like cell proliferation and differentiation, the structural organization of the splenic stroma, blood cell formation, and the regulation of immune responses.

Microbial Profile of traditional Dry-cured Meat: Metagenomic Analysis of Microbial Community of Kastamonu Pastrami Compared to Industrial Counterparts

Yasin Akkemik, Eygi Feyza Bicak, Alper Gungoren, Ahmet Guner — 2026-03-01

This study provides the first metagenomic characterisation of Kastamonu pastrami, a traditional Turkish dry-cured meat, and compares its microbial diversity with industrially produced alternatives. The findings are evaluated regarding product quality, fermentation characteristics, and food safety. We analyzed 15 sırt pastrami samples (M. longissimus thoracis) from traditional producers A?D (n=12) and industrial producer E (n=3). The 16S rRNA V3?V4 region was sequenced on Illumina MiSeq and processed with standard quality-filtering/denoising and taxonomyassignment workflow. Diversity metrics included alpha diversity (Shannon) and beta structure (PCoA, hierarchical clustering); group differences were evaluated with multiple-comparison procedures. Traditional products (A?D) showed higher alpha diversity overall than the industrial group (E) (p<0.05). Shannon values were highest in A and C with medians around ~2.10 and ~2.06 respectively; B was intermediate (~1.88?1.90); D and E were lowest (~1,71 and ~1.65 respectively). Community composition reflected these patterns; traditional samples contained producerspecific lactic acid bacteria (LAB) consortia?Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Weissella, and Leuconostoc?while A and C also harbored hygiene/spoilage-associated genera (e.e., Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Psychrobacter, Bacteroides, and Photobacterium). The industrial group (E) exhibited low diversity with Lactobacillus dominance (~80% relative abundance) and minimal non-LAB representation, consistent with controlled fermentation and sanitation. Findings indicate a diversity?safety trade off: traditional processing preserves microbial richness and typicity but may elevate contamination risk without robust GMP/HACCP, whereas industrial processing enhances microbiological safety at the expense of diversity. These results provide a practical basis for targeted hygiene interventions that improve safety while preserving the distinctive character of traditional pastrami.

Determination of Embryotoxic Effects of Levofloxacin Exposure by the In Ovo Method

Rahmi Canbar, Osman Dagar, Tugba Melike Parlak, Mehmet Tuzcu, Enver Yazar — 2026-03-01

Levofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibacterial drug in the fluoroquinolone class that is classified as category C during pregnancy. This study aimed to determine the effects of levofloxacin administration on embryos at different developmental stages. It examined 420 fertile chicken eggs, divided into two main groups-levofloxacin treatment on days 7 and 14-each containing seven subgroups (n = 30 each): negative control (no treatment), positive control (treated with saline), and five levofloxacin doses (5000, 2500, 1250, 625, and 312.5 µg/kg). On day 21, all eggs were hatched, the live-dead ratio was determined, and liver and kidney tissues were collected for histopathological analysis. Administering levofloxacin to embryos at 7 and 14 days of incubation had no lethal effect at doses up to 5000 µg/kg (p>0.05). Histopathological evaluations revealed no significant or clinically meaningful histopathological toxicity was observed of levofloxacin on liver and kidney development (p>0.05). In conclusion, when administered directly, levofloxacin does not have adverse effects on embryos at different developmental stages.

Short-Term Outcomes of Closed Butterfly-Shaped External Fixation in Feline and Canine Carpal and Tarsal Joint Instability

2026-03-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of a butterfly-shaped external fixation technique applied using a closed approach for the stabilization of traumatic carpal and tarsal joint instability in cats and dogs. This study included 39 patients (29 cats and 10 dogs) presented with acute lameness to the Surgical Clinic of Istanbul University?Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Clinical and radiographic examinations revealed carpal or tarsal joint instability associated with luxation and ligament injuries. Joint stabilization was achieved without opening the joint by applying a linear type II external skeletal fixation system using Kirschner wires connected with thermoplastic material. The butterfly-shaped configuration was designed to provide temporary joint stabilization and promote periarticular fibrosis rather than osseous fusion. Postoperative clinical examinations and stress radiography were performed at the 4th and 8th postoperative weeks. Successful joint stabilization was achieved in 97% of the cases by the 8th postoperative week. Most complications were minor and included pin tract infection, skin irritation, and occasional pin breakage. External fixation materials were removed at the 12th postoperative week in the majority of patients without any adverse effects or recurrence of instability. The butterfly-shaped external fixation technique applied via a closed approach is a minimally invasive, cost-effective, and well-tolerated alternative to arthrodesis for the treatment of carpal and tarsal joint instability in cats and dogs. Temporary immobilization for 8?12 weeks was sufficient to restore joint stability with a low complication rate.