The aim of this study was to determine the behaviour and management practices related to the welfare of the animals destined for slaughter in an abattoir in the city of Sogamoso, Boyacá, Colombia. Behavioural and management indicators were evaluated before, during and after desensitization in 100 cattle aged 1 to 5 years. The evaluation parameters were classified as excellent, acceptable, not acceptable and problem, according to a system proposed by the American Meat Institute. It was found that 11% of the animals suffered falls and 17% slipped, 23% vocalized and that in 61% of the animals the electric prod or another instrument was used for their mobilization, these facts being considered as problem from a wellness viewpoint. In the desensitization process, 93% correct stunning was obtained with a single shot and stunni...

Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a disorder of endocrine and metabolic origin associated mainly to insulin, obesity and laminitis dysregulation. It is argued that the Colombian Creole horse (CCC) is predisposed to develop it; however, there are no specific studies for this breed. The objective of the study was to diagnose the EMS based on the relationship between obesity, regional adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperleptinemia and associate it with the development of clinical signs of laminitis in CCC horses in the savannah of Bogotá. Two groups were evaluated: 10 clinically healthy horses as a control group and 30 obese (body condition >7/9) with regional adiposity in the neck as clinical signs associated with the EMS. The levels of glucose, insulin, leptin and triglycerides were determined, as well as the combined insulin-glucose test (TIGC) in the two grou...

            The aim of this study was to determine the behaviour and management practices related to the welfare of the animals destined for slaughter in an abattoir in the city of Sogamoso, Boyacá, Colombia. Behavioural and management indicators were evaluated before, during and after desensitization in 100 cattle aged 1 to 5 years. The evaluation parameters were classified as excellent, acceptable, not acceptable and problem, according to a system proposed by the American Meat Institute. It was found that 11% of the animals suffered falls and 17% slipped, 23% vocalized and that in 61% of the animals the electric prod or another instrument was used for their mobilization, these facts being considered as problem from a wellness viewpoint. In the desensitization process, 93% correct stunning was obtained with a single shot and stunni...