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Hygienic collection of semen is an integral part of the artificial insemination process. Semen collection implies mounting a teaser doe or a dummy. Therefore, proper semen collection deserves the utmost attention. Sexual efficiency is measured by the percentage or successful semen collections among attempted collections. When males are allowed to female teaser, the male exhibits characteristic behavioural symptoms such as sniffing, nudging or mounting at that time it is necessary for the operator to attempt an approach. This approach has to be done quietly to avoid a fear reflex in the male. The male, even if it mounts the female, deviation of its penis into the receptacle. Under the circumstances, the operator should not more from his squatting position, so that the male does not associate the two events. The animal generally comes back by itself to attempt remounting the female and will serve the artificial vagina. The operator should also stimulate the male by voice.

The semen evaluation is of great importance in predicting fertility of the male. There are several parameters to evaluate the semen quality. Usually bucks with good semen samples have good fertility and bucks with poor or very poor semen samples are invariably infertile or sterile. A single test is never sufficient to assess the semen quality and the examiner should be acquainted with several tests to evaluate the semen. The semen should be examined with in a shortest possible period after ejaculation and the ejaculate must be properly protected and handled until examination. Semen can be evaluated by following methods

1. Macroscopic test
2. Microscopic test
3. Metabolic test

The major requirement that distinguishes frozen semen/IVF laboratory from other laboratories is the need to maintain aseptic conditions. The wash up and sterilization of media and other equipments should be located at one end of the room and clean area for sterilize handling at the other end, and preparation, storage and incubation in between. The storage and incubation area should be near to the sterile working area.

In recent years, the introduction of laminar flow cabinets has been a great boon in providing a sterile working area and allows the use of unspecialized laboratory accommodation for culture work. For sterile work, area should be in a quiet part of the laboratory preferably in a cubicle where a laminar flow cabinet is suitably fitted. The area should be free from dust or draughts. Nothing should be stored on the laminar flow cabinet or bench used for sterile handling except most necessary equipments like holding pipettes etc. The laminar flow cabinets provide sterile air blown over the work surface. For laboratory, a horizontal laminar flow is more preferable as opposed to a vertical one because of ease of handling the ovaries etc. If an air curtain is provided at the door of the cabinet, introduction of dust etc. can be avoided. In India laminar flow are manufactured by companies like Clenzoids, Yorco etc, among others. The laminar flow size should be a minimum of 300 X 300 or 450 X 450 mm with a 12-18 in, square filter size).

The animals are mostly social ones and prefer living in herds. In each species there are certain rules for group survival, cohesion, defence and also for propagation. The basic patterns of male sexual behaviour appear to be innate in nature. Kids of both sexes are very often seen exhibiting sexual display during play and mounting is seen most commonly. In females the sexual receptivity is restricted to few hours or days near the estrous phase of the estrous cycle, while in males the sexual receptivity is grossly permanent. The physiological signals for arousal of sexual motivations originate from gonadal steroid balance. However, the secretion of gonadal steroids is not permanent. In males the androgen secretion is in the form of several peaks within 24 hours reflecting the pulsatile release of pituitary gonadotropins. However, the total amount of androgen in males is almost constant practically for day to day. In females the secretions of estrogens are restricted only during few days (follicular phase) of the estrous cycle.

The goat rearing on extensive rearing system has been practiced since ancestry for livelihood and nutritional security of poor, landless and marginal farmers of our country with the flock size ranging from 2-10 goats. However, in the recent past, goat rearing is shifting towards semi-intensive and intensive rearing systems for commercial purposes with flock size ranging from 25 to 500. The goats reared in small flocks needs minimal housing facilities following the scientific principles with low-cost structures. On the other hand, elaborate housing is generally recommended for goats raised under large scale commercial production systems. Separate housing arrangements for different categories of animals viz. growers, pregnant females, lactating females, breeding males, etc. are to be ensured for rearing goats scientifically for harnessing maximum output sustainably.

Infertility means reduced fertility or the cow is ultimately capable of becoming pregnant and giving birth to a live calf but the interval may be much longer than 12 months. 

I. Problems leading to infertility

1. No signs of estrus

When the animal is pregnant and for a short time after calving the cows may not show estrus signs. A thorough palpation of the ovaries and tubular genital tract should be performed and a repeat examination may be necessary.

The ultrasonography is a technique which uses sound waves of very high frequency to scan the various organs of the body. The ultrasound waves of 2-10 mHz frequency are used in veterinary practice. A quartz crystal when stimulated by short pulse current ultrasound waves are emitted. The ultrasound waves emitted are directed towards a specific target organ are reflected back as echoes. The echoes are received by the same quartz crystal and are processed in the electronic circuit and finally displayed as image on the monitor.

Key Points

• There are several causes of abdominal pain.

• It is difficult to diagnose in animals, but behavioral changes may indicate abdominal pain.

• Evaluate and treat abdominal pain promptly to avoid life-threatening situations.

Introduction

Abdominal discomfort is typically acute (onset occurs suddenly), although it can also be persistent. It could be caused by inflammation of the abdominal wall or organs in the abdominal and pelvic cavities. Diagnosis is difficult due to the variety of etiologies involved. Patients with stomach pain demonstrate changes in behavior and posture. Treatment should be based on etiology and the underlying cause.

Etiology

It is a rare idiopathic primary dermatitis condition seen mainly in Daschund.

Acus means needle. It is an ancient Chinese system of therapy utilizing long fine needles at specific points and their stimulation by various means to induce analgesia and to cure certain diseases. The specific points are known as acupuncture points or acupoints.
 
The procedure is safe. There are no post anaesthetic complications and can be used in poor surgical risk patients. The major disadvantage is poor muscle relaxation. Acupuncture has been used to produce local anaesthesia.
 
Acupoints : Alphanumeric code system is used to recognize the acupoints universally e.g. BL, LI, SP, GB etc means meridians of the urinary bladder, large intestine, spleen, gall bladder etc. respectively.

Diagnostic imaging refers to technologies that doctors use to look inside the body of the patient for clues about any disease condition. A variety of machine and techniques can create pictures of the structures and activities inside the patient body. In India, some of these modalities like digital radiography and ultrasonography are being used at some of the veterinary colleges and reaseach institutes while at some places some of the veterinarians have access to the techniques like computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resoncace imaging (MRI) of the human hospitals. So this is the responsibility of the scientists and researchers engaged in the advancement of the diagnostic imaging and the manufacturing companies to make these facilities cot effective so that an animal of a common man can be benefited with these facilities.

1. Introduction:- Understanding Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)
1.1 Definition and Core Principles of GLP
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines Good Laboratory Practice as “a managerial quality control system that governs the organizational process and the conditions under which non-clinical health and thus, environmental safety studies are well planned, executed/ performed, vigilantly monitored, properly recorded, reported, and finally archived”. This definition highlights that Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) is a comprehensive framework focused on ensuring the quality and integrity of the entire study lifecycle, rather than dictating the scientific validity of the research itself. The primary goal of GLP is to ensure process integrity and data traceability, which are essential for the regulatory acceptance of safety data for a variety of products. These products include pharmaceuticals, pesticides, cosmetics, veterinary drugs, food additives, feed additives, and industrial chemicals, all of which undergo non-clinical testing to assess their potential health and environmental risks. It is important to note that GLP principles specifically apply to these non-clinical studies and exclude research involving human subjects. The OECD Principles of GLP are internationally recognized and serve as the basis for GLP regulations in numerous countries worldwide. These principles outline the responsibilities of key personnel involved in non-clinical studies, including test facility management, the study director, study personnel, and quality assurance personnel. Furthermore, they establish minimum standards concerning the suitability of facilities and equipment to perform studies, as well as the necessity for comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide all aspects of laboratory operations. The core principles of GLP encompass a wide range of elements critical to ensuring the quality and integrity of laboratory studies. These OECD principles of Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) include: the proper organization team and personnel staff members within the testing facility, the well establishment of a robust quality assurance programme, the better suitability and proper maintenance of various necessary facilities, the efficient management of apparatus, materials, and reagents, the characterization and control of test systems, the handling of test and reference items, the development and adherence to Standard Operating

After fertilization and zygote formation, in utero development can be divided into two stages, i.e. embryonic and foetal. Embryo period refers to the time between fertilization and the development of organ primordia. During the embryonic period, fast development occurs, and primordia of most organs are established. During the foetal stage, which lasts from the end of the embryonic period until parturition, the body’s systems begin to develop and function.

Artificial intelligence can detect subtle changes in animal health before they become apparent through conventional observation. This chapter examines machine learning, deep learning and predictive analytics for livestock disease prediction and diagnosis. Models use physiological signals, diagnostic images, behaviour patterns, environmental conditions and historical records to recognize abnormalities and estimate disease risk. Wearable sensors and IoT devices enable continuous monitoring and early-warning systems, supporting preventive veterinary care and outbreak management. AI-based detection can reduce mortality, treatment costs and production losses while improving decision-making. The chapter also evaluates challenges involving inconsistent data, model interpretability, rural infrastructure, technical accessibility and the practical implementation of diagnostic systems.