School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources (SVAR) Collection
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ItemAssessing the knowledge and practices of cattle farmers on rational antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in Soroti District(Makerere University, 2026)Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health threat driven in part by irrational use of antimicrobials in livestock. This study aimed to assess knowledge, practices, and associated factors related to AMR among livestock farmers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the months of June and July 2025 among 212 cattle farmers in Asuret, Lale and Kamuda sub counties of Soroti District using a structured questionnaire. Socio-demographic information, farm characteristics, recordkeeping practices, knowledge of AMU and AMR, awareness of drug residues and withdrawal periods, and preventive and treatment practices were recorded. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to determine associations between AMR knowledge and demographic or farm-level factors. Only 53.3% of the farmers were aware of AMR. Male farmers, those with tertiary education, and individuals who sourced drugs from professionals had significantly higher awareness (p<0.05). Preventive practices such as parasite control (92.9%) and deworming (80.7%) were widely adopted, while only 14.6% reported vaccinating their animals. Although 91.9% claimed to follow veterinary recommendations, only 4.3% consistently documented antimicrobial use. Significant associations with AMR knowledge were observed for education level, sex, farming system, source of drugs, record keeping, and method of drug container disposal (p<0.05). The study found moderate awareness of AMR among farmers, with notable gaps in knowledge, antimicrobial stewardship, and preventive health practices. Efforts to improve farmer education, strengthen veterinary access, and promote responsible antimicrobial use are crucial in addressing AMR in livestock systems. These findings underscore the need for targeted farmer education and improved veterinary services in Soroti.
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ItemAssessment of farmers awareness and practices on climate smart agriculture in livestock production in Ngogwe Subcounty Buikwe District(Makerere University, 2025)Climate change poses a growing threat to agricultural systems in Uganda, particularly the livestock sector, which is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This study assessed the awareness, practices, challenges and perceived benefits of climatesmart agriculture (CSA) among livestock farmers in Ngogwe Sub- County, Buikwe District. Using a cross-sectional field-based design, data was collected from 128 purposively selected livestock farmers through structured questionnaires and oral interviews. Slovin’s formula was applied to determine the sample size. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that while all respondents were aware of climate change and its adverse effects such as increased disease incidence, reduced pasture quality and water shortages, only 56.3% had heard of CSA and over half lacked understanding of its purpose. Commonly practiced CSA measures included vaccination, manure management, and cross-breeding, while agroforestry and rotational grazing were less adopted. Gender was significantly associated with CSA awareness, with female farmers being more informed than males. Key challenges identified included limited knowledge (68.0%) and lack of resources (41.4%). Despite these obstacles, 64.1% of farmers reported improved livestock productivity as a primary benefit of CSA, alongside reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved household nutrition. The study concludes that although awareness of climate change is high, knowledge and implementation of CSA practices remain limited. It recommends increased CSA training, gender-inclusive programming, access to financial support, strengthened extension services, and the integration of CSA into district development strategies to enhance sustainable livestock production and climate resilience in Buikwe District.
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ItemGross lesions found in pigs slaughtered in Kapchorwa Municipality, Kapchorwa District, Eastern Uganda(Makerere University, 2025)Piggery significantly contribute to food security and the socioeconomic empowerment of households in Uganda (Ouma et al 2024). However, various challenges, such as diseases and poor animal welfare, constrain productivity and pose risks to human health. This study aimed to identify gross lesions in pigs slaughtered at Kapchorwa Municipality slaughter house. A cross-sectional study was done and all pigs presented for slaughter on the visitation days constituted the sampling frame for the study. A total of 226 pigs were examined, a number of gross lesions were recorded. Traumatic lesions (49.48%), were the most common lesions recorded. However renal atrophy (0.52%) and hydronephrosis (0.52%) were the list recorded lesions. The traumatic lesions included lacerations, skin ulcers, hematomas and tail bites. The lesions observed in the feet were in sole and coronary bands (36 pigs). they had multifocal swellings, brownish crusts in the sole and coronary band surrounded by reddened areas and some had purulent exudates and thickened skin wall (18.75%). Thoracic wall and lung lesions (5.21%)had multifocal to diffuse greyish covering while some animal’s pleura had a shaggy, yellowish-gray fibrinous exudate, in few pigs there was serosanguinious fluid in thoracic cavity. (10.48%). The intestinal mucosa of the small intestines had multifocal reddened spots, while in some pigs the mesenteric lymph nodes were swollen and edematous (1.04%). in conclusion, pigs slaughtered in Kapchorwa municipality had lesions in several body systems, the most common lesions were traumatic lesions. however, the cause of the lesions was not investigated. the study highlights the need for improvement in animal welfare practices, there is need to do further study to ascertain public safety.
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ItemComparative effect of germination time on trypsin inhibitor concentration in soya bean under aeroponic fodder production conditions(Makerere University, 2025-09)Soya bean is a relatively inexpensive protein source, can be grown and accessed by small scale farmers for use as livestock feed, its utilization is limited by presence of trypsin inhibitors (TIs) which impair protein digestion. Germination being a recommended non-thermal method to reduce/ eliminate trypsin inhibitors in soya bean, this study evaluated effects of germination time on trypsin inhibitors in Maksoy 3N and Maksoy 6N over 7 days using a factorial completely randomized design. Results showed a significant effect of germination time on TI reduction (p = 0.002), with levels decreasing from 0.365 TUI/mg (0.000365 mg/g) for Maksoy 3N and 0.513 TUI/mg (0.000513 mg/g) for Maksoy 6N on day 1 to 0.101 TUI/mg (0.000101 mg/g) (72% reduction) and 0.033 TUI/mg (0.000033 mg/g) (94% reduction) respectively by day 7. The study further showed that Maksoy 6N has a slightly faster and greater reduction in inhibitors indicating genetic variability of different genotypes to the treatment process. This study confirms that germination under aeroponic conditions is an effective and reliable non-thermal method for reducing trypsin inhibitors in soya bean where after day five, farmers, nutritionists and feed producing companies can harvest soybean sprouts as they are safer and beneficial for livestock performance.
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ItemInvestigation of a hitherto unknown parasitic worm in tongues of dogs in Lira City(Makerere University, 2025)Dog owners in Lira City have always reported cases of dogs presenting with lethargy, inappetance, vomiting, among others, which clinical signs they attribute to the occurrence of a suspected “worm” underneath the tongues of dogs. In trying to address this health and welfare issue, animal health practitioners are involved in a common practice of surgically removal of the suspected worm. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate this hitherto unknown possible parasitic worm in tongues of dogs reported in Lira city. Specimens were collected and analyzed using histopathology. The histopathology findings revealed that the specimens were made up of three body regions i.e., the thick outer cuticle, the body wall, made up of smooth muscle layer dorsally and fat deposits ventrally with a central lumen (coelomic cavity). Additionally, the coelomic cavity was lined by a layer of simple cuboidal epithelium. Therefore, results from histopathology study indicated that the specimen was not part of the tongue tissue but could be a developmental stage of a parasite. Furthermore, results from questionnaires administered showed that majority of the veterinary practitioners had encountered cases of the suspected worm (84.6%), and in their opinion, they believed there is something underneath the tongue of dogs (59.1%) which they thought was a developmental stage of a parasite (68.2%). Veterinary practitioners with more than 5 years of experience also agreed that the tissue usually removed from the tongues of dogs is a developmental stage of a parasite (P=0.047). Most dog owners had experienced ill health in their dogs due to the suspected worm (74.5%) and many of them believed that surgical removal of the suspected worm was good (68.6%). Therefore, more research can be done on the tissue extracted, probably using scanning microscopes and DNA identification techniques to identify and name the parasite. This will make treatment of the condition easier if the parasite is identified in addition to sensitization of the public.