Cristina Castillo

University of Santiago de Compostela | USC · Department of Animal Pathology

Globally, animal agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions. Various institutions such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), estimate that livestock accounts for 17% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. In Spain, livestock farming, including enteric CH 4 production, accounted for 9.1% of total greenhouse...

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no study has previously investigated whether the concentration of minerals is related to reproductive outcomes in primiparous cows. For this reason, two objectives were set in the present study: (i) to assess serum mineral levels, macrominerals, and trace elements during the transition period (period of high n...

Enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA) is a marker of inflammation in domestic animals, but it is unclear whether it is a reliable marker of oxidative stress, especially in the transition period in dairy cows. This study aims to assess if ADA and redox status measurements in saliva provide the same utility to detect disease condition as that obtained fro...

In the near future, bovine livestock would need to keep pace with the projected demands from population growth and environmental concerns. It is clear that the advances in the bovine sector worldwide in a sustainable scenario will require the use of new technological tools (biological or not) with the engagement of a wide variety of disciplines ran...

Acute abdomen (AA) is the term used to define a pathological condition that affects the abdominal cavity and frequently manifests itself with acute clinical symptoms capable of compromising a cow’s life. Therefore, it should be considered as an emergency that should be evaluated as quickly as possible to adopt the appropriate therapeutic measure (m...

The study was carried out on 27 healthy primiparous Holstein heifers (620 ± 50 kg) kept in a commercial dairy herd. The animals were divided into two groups taking into account the body condition score (BCS) index: BCS < 3.5, n = 12; BCS > 3.5 n = 15. The study period started one month before calving (BC), and ran until one month after calving (AC)...

The confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially modified not only our lifestyle but also the outdoor habits of our pets, especially domestic dogs and cats. These creatures are social animals, they need to exercise, develop their instincts and maintain their biological habits and needs, but the situation has changed, and these chan...

Rumen content is a complex mixture of feed, water, fermentation products, and living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, which vary over time and with different feeds. As it is impossible to reproduce this complex system in the laboratory, surgical fistulation and cannulation of the rumen is a powerful tool for the study (in vivo and i...

The confinement caused by the COVID pandemic has substantially modified not only our lifestyle, but also the outdoor habits of our pets, especially domestic dogs and cats. These creatures are social animals, they need to exercise, develop their natural instincts and maintain their biological habits and needs…but the situation has changed, and these c...

Los nuevos retos de la Ciencia Veterinaria, en busca de una ganadería sostenible, en equilibrio con el entorno, pero también rentable para el ganadero lleva a un implacable reto en la profesión, suprimiendo viejos roles e introduciéndonos en campos novedosos donde la biotecnología, en sus diferentes modalidades, es una herramienta vital. Atrás que...

Current adoption of technical methods of the production systems and the genetic improvement of flocks’ productivity have led to the emergence of the well-known metabolic diseases or diseases linked to production. These disorders affect the health status of the flock, thereby generating strong economic losses in the livestock sector. The solution go...

Dear Colleagues, This Special Issue aims to address several topics, including: 1. When is it necessary to use experimentation animals in veterinary medicine research? 2. Are there reliable alternatives to the use of experimental animals? How valid are they? 3. Importance of the care and handling of experimental animals: could they affect the experi...

This presentation addresses the metabolic problems derived from the overproduction of dairy sheep, beyond their physiological possibilities, as well as viable tools for achieving sustainable sheep farming, the basis of the primary production system.

Pet rabbits have increased their popularity in a lot of countries. However, most of the laboratory profiles in rabbit medicine come from the observations made in rabbit as biomodels or meat production. So that further researches are necessary to obtain reference values for hematology and biochemical profiles in pet rabbits and the different breeds,...

García M, Castillo C, Chapel JM. Situación actual de la cobaya como mascota en España. ConsultaVet. 2020; 28 (269): 27-29. Desde hace poco tiempo la cobaya es una mascota cada vez más habitual en las consultas veterinarias, y por ello surgen dudas entre los clínicos acerca de su manejo, patologías más habituales y condiciones ambientales apropiada...

La enseñanza práctica basada en el método PBL (aprendizaje por problemas) permite al alumno adquirir destrezas transversales como son el trabajo en equipo o el razonamiento crítico. Sabemos que a los alumnos les gustan aquellas prácticas en las que se ven "obligados" a comunicarse con un potencial cliente. La comunicación es una herramienta relevan...

En el año 2016 presentamos en el Congreso realizado en Córdoba por esta Sociedad, la experiencia piloto desarrollada en la disciplina de Propedéutica Clínica de un laboratorio de habilidades clínicas (LHABIC). Los objetivos iniciales eran que el alumno, básicamente se familiarizase con el material y las técnicas clínicas más habituales, sin que en...

Since 2014 the African Swine Fever (ASF), is advancing through wild boar to Spain from Eastern European countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, borders of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia and northern Hungary). Officially, according with the European Commission this disease was eradicated in France (...

En España ha surgido una oleada de fundaciones y organizaciones dedicadas al uso de animales de compañía como terapeutas o educadores… PERO ¿QUE SON LAS INTERVENCIONES ASISTIDAS CON ANIMALES? Son intervenciones en las que un animal es incorporado como parte del tratamiento, con el objetivo directo de promover la mejoría en las funciones físicas, so...

Currently, we know that there is a close relationship between the oxidative stress status and inflammatory processes during the transition period that severely endangers animal welfare and production. However, there are still certain aspects to be discovered , such as knowing if this inflammatory state is attributable to metabolic disturbances or i...

En los úItimos meses las noticias de la prensa no paran de imputar a los jabalíes de ser Ios causantes de multitud de accidentes de tráfico (por encima de 2.500 accidentes solo en Galicia, de un total de 4.748 accidentes con animales en el año 2018), poniéndoles en el centro de la diana del rechazo de Ia sociedad; también es cierto que destrozan lo...

The search for new sources of food that contribute to the optimization of livestock production is urgently needed, especially in the Spanish SE where rainfall is increasingly scarce and land degradation makes

Currently, we know that there is a close relationship between the oxidative stress status and inflammatory processes during the transition period that severely endangers animal welfare and production. However, there are still certain aspects to be discovered, such as knowing if this inflammatory state is attributable to metabolic disturbances or in...

Dairy cows undergo various transition periods throughout their productive life, which are associated with periods of increased metabolic and infectious disease susceptibility. Redox balance plays a key role in ensuring a satisfactory transition. Nevertheless, oxidative stress (OS), a consequence of redox imbalance, has been associated with an incre...

Los accidentes eléctricos aunque poco frecuentes producen en los animales grandes daños en lamayoría de las ocasiones, tanto en el momento del contacto como posteriormente. por ello es esencial saber qué hacer en estas situaciones. Trabajo tutorizado por Cristina Castillo y realizado por alumnos del Grado de Veterinaria de Lugo, de la Universidad d...

Los incendios forestales o la progresiva tropicalización del clima gallego son algunas de las causas que están provocando que este reptil se acerque cada vez más a los núcleos rurales. En este artículo describimos dos casos que afectaron a una explotación de ganado de leche, con el objetivo de aportar luz sobre esta situación y servir de ayuda tant...

Urge la búsqueda de nuevas fuentes de alimentos que contribuyan a la optimización de la producción ganadera; especialmente en el SE español donde las lluvias son cada vez más escasas y la degradación de la tierra hace complicado el pastoreo de los pequeños rumiantes. En este trabajo se aportan datos in vivo e in vitro en ganado ovino y caprino acer...

Hasta la fecha existen pocos estudios que recopilen información sobre el número de conejos como mascotas en España y su distribución por las distinas provincias y comunidades. Entre la escasa información existente, se observa que según la FEDIAF (The European Feed Industry Federation) en el año 2012 había censados 1.550.000 animales exóticos como a...

This poster reflects the changes that in some metabolic parameters, connected with energy metabolism, experienced some breeds from an intensive to an organic farming system.

La Confederación Mundial de la Fisioterapia (WCPT) en 1967 definió el término fisioterapia como arte y ciencia del tratamiento físico, es decir, el conjunto de técnicas que mediante la aplicación de agentes físicos curan, previenen, recuperan y readaptan a los pacientes susceptibles de recibir dicho tratamiento físico. La fisioterapia y rehabilitac...

In recent years there has been a great euphoria about the application of biotechnology to the livestock rearing and the potential benefits in search of effective and sustainable farming systems that can meet the challenge of global overpopulation in 2050 according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report published in 2009 (How to Feed...

In the near future, bovine livestock would need to keep pace with the projected demands from population growth and environmental concerns. It is clear that the advances in the bovine sector worldwide in a sustainable scenario will require the use of new technological tools (biological or not) with the engagement of a wide variety of disciplines ran...

The aim of this study was to provide reference values for a single, popular breed of pet rabbit. Moreover, additional objectives were to determine whether sex, body position or age alter Netherland Dwarf rabbit electrocardiographic variables and whether the use of electrocardiographic filters affects those variables. Forty Netherland Dwarf rabbits...

BACKGROUND: The marine plant Posidonia oceanica (L.) (PO) has been demonstrated in goats to be a source of fibre. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of introducing this marine plant as a substitute for barley straw in the feed of mature ewes, assessing the effects of their addition on intake, digestibility and ruminal ferment...

Empleo de competencias transversales del Grado en Veterinaria para evaluar el grado de satisfacción en la enseñanza del equilibrio ácido-base. La visión del alumnado. Evaluation of the students' level of satisfaction with acid base teaching using transversal skills. The undergraduate´s perception. En el ámbito docente, existen temas que se hacen di...

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between different surrogate indices and parameters of the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) in dairy cows at the start of their lactation. Ten dairy cows underwent IVGTT on days 3 to 7 after calving. Areas under the curve during the 90 min following infusion, peak and nadir concentra...

Un gato estresado en la consulta de la clínica no es un buen paciente. Por eso hay que lralar de hacer su estancia en el local lo más agradable posible. Los gatos son animales territoriales por Io que el hecho de abandonar su hogar, como ocurre en el caso de la visita al veterinario, les genera estrés, el cual debemos minimizar ya que puede interfe...

La presente revisión tiene pues una serie de objetivos concretos: 1. Realizar una breve descripción de lo que son actualmente las intervenciones asistidas con animales y los tipos que hay. 2. Contestar a la pregunta ¿Valen todos los animales para este tipo de intervenciones? El papel del Veterinario en estas y otras cuestiones. 3. Destacar la impor...

Body condition score (BCS) changes and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) are good indicators for measuring lipomobilization during the transition period. The aim of this study was to establish the possible correlation between cows with a higher BCS during this period and their reproductive performance postpartum. A total of 47 Holstein dairy cows w...

En estre trabajo se detalla la experiencia clínica relativa a la intoxicación por taninos en un rebaño de carne situado en la provincia de León. Se detallan los sintomas, la patogenia, el tratamiento y la evolución del proceso. Este trabajo fue tutorizado por Cristina Castillo y Joaquín Hernández, aunque la autoría del artículo corresponde a las al...

Este trabajo ha sido tutorizado por Cristina Castillo, pero la autoróa corresponde plenamente a las autoras del artículo

Dairy cows undergo a period of insulin resistance (IR) following calving, but the mechanisms causing IR are not fully understood in cattle. In human type II diabetes, there is strong evidence that oxidative stress (OS) plays a causative role in the development of IR, and antioxidant supplementation can be used to reduce its consequences. Transition...

Appropriate terminology is essential for successful communication among health professionals. However, students have traditionally been encouraged to learn terminology by rote memorization and recall, strategies that students try to avoid. The use of crossword puzzles as a learning tool has been evaluated in other education disciplines, but not for...

Conclusiones: Los estudiantes expuestos a los crucigramas mostraron una mejor retención a corto plazo de los términos en comparación con los estudiantes que utilizaron el aprendizaje memorístico. Además, los estudiantes de veterinaria mostraron una actitud positiva hacia el uso de crucigramas en su proceso de aprendizaje, considerándolos una herram...

Se describen los primeros pasos para la implantación de un laboratorio de habilidades en las que los alumnos de Veterinaria puedan adquirir destrezas básicas en el ejercicio clínico.

Background: Exacerbated postparturient insulin resistance (IR) has been associated with several pathologic conditions in dairy cattle. Oxidative stress (OS) plays a causative role in IR in humans, and an association, but not direct relationship, between OS and IR recently has been reported in transition dairy cattle. Hypothesis: Supplementation wi...

Siguiendo los resultados de exhaustivas investigaciones realizadas en la extensa colección de cepas de levadura de Lesaffre, Actisaf ha sido seleccionado como la solución más adecuada para la producción animal actual. Avalado por rigurosos estudios científicos, este probiótico se utiliza actualmente para mejorar la salud y los rendimientos producti...

There has been some recent criticism about the reliability of the assays commonly used to measure oxidant status in cattle, because some recent publications suggested that the concentration of different trace elements influences the results of these assays. The aim of this study was to test the correlation in 502 bovine serum samples between the co...

Post-parturient insulin resistance (IR) is a common feature in all mammalian animals. However, in dairy cows, it can be exacerbated because of high milk yield, leading to excessive negative energy balance, which is related with increased disease incidence, reduced milk production and worsened reproductive performance. IR has been extensively invest...

Production diseases are established when there is an intense imbalance between what is offered to the animal (as food) and what is required (in the form of milk/meat/offspring). In such situations, the solution involves not only the assessment of animal ration or the health program, but also, their health status. This information can only be access...

p>El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la actitud de los estudiantes de veterinaria hacia el uso de exámenes clínicos estructurados por objetivos (OSCE) como un método para la evaluación continua de la adquisición de las habilidades clínicas relacionadas con el examen físico de los animales. Los estudiantes realizaron quincenalmente dos OSCE a l...

div data-canvas-width="223.3308">Cristina Castillo Rodríguez entrevista a Mª Patrocinio Morrondo Pelayo, Presidenta del Consejo de Dirección de la Agencia para la Calidad del Sistema Universitario de Galicia (ACSUG) </div

p>La docencia universitaria ha cambiado al tiempo que lo han hecho las demandas de la sociedad. Ahora no sólo se valoran los conocimientos sino también otras habilidades necesarias para el ejercicio de la actividad profesional: la búsqueda de información, el análisis crítico, la comunicación, el cooperativismo y la determinación a la hora de supera...

Hay numerosas enfermedades endémicas qee afectan significativamente a la producción, salud y bienestar animal, no obstante sus efectos pueden controlarse o prevenirse tomando una serie de medidas que deben ser parte inherente del manejo de la explotación y deberían considerarse como elemento clave en el plan de viabilidad a corto-medio plazo en cua...

This study aimed to evaluate the attitude of veterinary students to the use of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as a method for continuous assessment of the acquisition of clinical skills related to the physical examination of animals. Students undertook fortnightly two OSCE throughout a semester, after what an anonymous electronic...

In the search for new food sources that contribute to the optimization of livestock production, this paper discusses the possibility of using waste (called banquettes) from a marine plant commonly found on the Mediterranean coasts: Posidonia oceanica. The idea stems from the use of a waste that in summertime generates large costs because it is cons...

Specific clinical trials are needed to design helpful therapeutic interventions in CDS cats. However, the first step is to obtain a reliable tool enabling early diagnosis of the disease. Hitherto, the evaluation of oxidative stress may be considered more as a preventative assessment than a diagnostic tool. Even so, the evaluation of oxidative stres...

This study observes the effects of manipulating the diet in its physical form and in cereal composition of the concentrate on sorting behaviour, feed intake, composition of milk, and degree of discomfort in dairy cows. In a commercial dairy farm with 360 mid-lactation Holstein cows (averaged 105 days), three treatments of feeding handling were appl...

La aplicación de un vendaje excesivamente comprimido puede tener consecuencias negativas no solo sobre la herida sino también, a largo plazo, sobre el comportamiento del animal afectado. En 1881 Richard Von Volkmann descri-bió las secuelas a nivel muscular y ner-vioso tras aplicar torniquetes o vendajes apretados en miembros traumatizados. Hoy en d...

The aim of this study was to assess the redox balance of organically managed dairy cattle (OMC; n = 40) during the transition period and to compare this with conventionally managed cattle (CMC; n = 22). Serum samples of dairy cows from two organic and one conventional farm were taken. Markers of oxidants production [reactive oxygen species] and tot...

The objective of this work was to determine productive and fertility responses of Holstein‑Friesian heifers and cows to supplementation with extruded linseed and soybean as sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Supplementation had a positive effect on profitability, with significant increases in milk yield in supplemented cows, but not in...

The marine plant Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile can be a source of fibre to increase the efficiency of product costs. The aim of the present study was to assess the productive (milk production and performance) and metabolic (blood metabolites) effects of P. oceanica into the ration of dairy goats as a substitute for straw. P. oceanica was used at 2...

Capsaicinoids are important for the food and pharmaceutical industries. For this reason, a number of researchers are engaged in improving their production by manipulating chili plant cultivation conditions, chemical and enzymatic synthesis processes or alternative methods such as cell or tissue culture. Hitherto, research has shown that capsaicinoi...

Age-related changes in blood variables have previously been reported for cattle. A few studies have investigated differences in biochemistry analytes over time using repeat measures. The purpose of the study was to investigate the variation in select variables during the first 3 months of life of Holstein-Friesian calves using repeat sampling. Twen...

Dairy cows are especially vulnerable to health disorders during the transition period, when they shift from late pregnancy to the onset of lactation. Diseases at this stage affect not only the animals' well-being, but also cause a major economic impact in dairy farms, because apart from treatment costs, affected cows will not reach their peak milk-...

New-born calves depend upon colostrum intake for the acquisition of immunoglobulins (Ig) and other beneficial substances. However, colostrum is also a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Intrinsic production of ROS also increases after birth, so the combination of colostral and intrinsic ROS could overwhelm the antioxidant capacity of the calf...

Acute ruminal acidosis is a metabolic status defined by decreased blood pH and bicarbonate, caused by overproduction of ruminal D-lactate. It will appear when animals ingest excessive amount of nonstructural carbohydrates with low neutral detergent fiber. Animals will show ruminal hypotony/atony with hydrorumen and a typical parakeratosis-rumenitis...

This poster aims to show how through the reading of Classics of the Literature, specific of every country, we can introduce to our students in the origin or past events of several disciplines included in the Veterinary degree.

In the search for new food sources that contribute to the optimization of livestock production this paper discusses the possibility of using waste (called banquettes) of a marine plant commonly found on the Mediterranean coasts: Posidonia oceanica. The idea stems from the use of a waste that in summertime generates large costs because it is conside...

The number of organically managed cattle (OMC) within the European Union has increased tremendously in the last decade. However, there are still some concerns about animals under this farming system meeting their dietary requirements for milk production. The aim of this study was to compare the metabolic adaptations to the onset of lactation in thr...

This study investigated the possible relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and the levels of d- and l-lactic acid enantiomers, as markers of ruminal activity, during the transition period of dairy cattle. Twenty-two late gestational animals were sampled biweekly around the time of calving, and the data obtained was divided ex post into t...

New-born calves depend upon colostrum intake for the acquisition of immunoglobulins (Ig) and other beneficial substances. However, colostrum is also a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Intrinsic production of ROS also increases after birth, so the combination of colostral and intrinsic ROS could overwhelm the antioxidant capacity of the calf...

From a clinical point of view, oxidative stress (OS) is considered the primary cause of numerous metabolic processes in transition cow. Thus, the addition of antioxidants has been considered a palliative or preventive treatment. But beyond the clinical perspective, antioxidant supplementation provides an added value to the product obtained being ei...