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Bazzano M, Marchegiani A, La Gualana F, Petriti B, Spaterna A, Laus F. Salivary analysis to unveil the paradigma of stress of domestic horses reared in the wild. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11266. [PMID: 38760454 PMCID: PMC11101484 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62172-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Horse welfare is the product of multiple factors, including behavioral and physiological adjustments to cope with stressful situation regarding environment and housing condition. Collectively, it is supposed that a horse kept in the wild has a lower level of stress than other housing system, and the aim of the present study was to investigate the level of stress in domestic horses reared in the wild and then moved to human controlled housing, through saliva analysis. Twelve clinically healthy Catria (Italian local breed) mares, usually reared in the wild, were moved into collective paddocks for a folkloric event. Saliva samples were obtained before and after the change of housing condition to evaluate stress biomarkers including salivary cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase, and butyrylcholinesterase (BChol). The mares were also scored using the Welfare Aggregation and Guidance (WAG) Tool to highlight the presence of abnormal behaviors. Despite the absence of differences in behavioral scores between wild and paddocks, salivary cortisol and BChol were found to be higher in the wild and lower when mares were moved to paddocks. The highest concentrations in stress biomarkers like salivary cortisol and BChol in the wild was unexpected, but the need for managing hierarchical relationships, and the exposure to feral animals, predators, and weather changes, might explain these findings. The overall results of the present study may provide further knowledge toward stress response in domesticated horses living in the wild moved to human controlled housing system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bazzano
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024, Matelica, MC, Italy
| | - A Marchegiani
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024, Matelica, MC, Italy.
| | - F La Gualana
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - B Petriti
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - A Spaterna
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024, Matelica, MC, Italy
| | - F Laus
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024, Matelica, MC, Italy
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Hematological and Biochemical Responses of Donkeys (Equus asinus) to Packing and Trekking During the Hot-Dry Season. J Equine Vet Sci 2023; 122:104203. [PMID: 36586520 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate effects of packing (load-carrying) and trekking on hematological and biochemical parameters in donkeys during the hot-dry season. Ten pack donkeys, aged 2-3 years, weighing 93 ± 2.7 kg were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into two groups of five animals each. Group 1 donkeys were subjected to packing + trekking while group 2 trekked only. All the donkeys trekked 20 km thrice, 1-day apart. Blood was collected before and after packing or trekking for hematological evaluation; and serum analyzed for electrolyte concentrations, and aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities. Temperature-humidity index pre and postpacking was 70.00 ± 0.1 and 79.67 ± 0.3, respectively. The packed cell volume (30.93 ± 1.1%) was higher (P < .05) before packing than postpacking value (27.83 ± 0.7%) in group 1 donkeys. Hemoglobin concentration (9.01 ± 0.3 g/dL) decreased (P < .05) after trekking (7.81 ± 0.1 g/dL) in group 2 donkeys. Neutrophil count increased (P < .05) in group 1 donkeys after packing (from 8.63 ± 0.9 × 109/L to 10.59 ± 1.2 × 109/L). Lymphocyte count (8.58 ± 0.8 × 109/L) decreased (P < .05), compared to postpacking (5.23 ± 0.5 × 109/L) in group 1 donkeys. Postpacking neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in group 1 donkeys (2.33 ± 0.4) was higher (P < .05) than in group 2 donkeys (1.31 ± 0.3). Electrolyte concentrations and enzyme activities did not change significantly. In conclusion, packing + trekking was more stressful to the donkeys than trekking only, evidenced by postpacking increased neutrophil count, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and phosphate ion concentration, but decreased lymphocyte count. If this stress is not mitigated, the performance of pack donkeys during hot-dry season may not be optimum.
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AKE AS, AYO JO. Effects of packing on the diurnal rhythms of respiratory and heart rates in donkeys during the hot-dry season. J Equine Sci 2022; 33:55-62. [PMID: 36699200 PMCID: PMC9843161 DOI: 10.1294/jes.33.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of packing (load carrying) on the diurnal rhythms of respiratory and heart rates in donkeys during the hot-dry season. Twenty 2- to 3-years-old donkeys weighing 93 ± 2.7 kg were divided into two groups to serve as subjects: Group 1 was subjected to packing + trekking, while group 2 was subjected to trekking only. All donkeys trekked 20 km on each experimental day. The procedure was repeated three times at one-day intervals. Thermal environmental parameters were recorded. Respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) were measured before and immediately (15 min) after the packing and/or trekking period. Continuous recordings of parameters were performed for 27 hr at 3-hr intervals beginning 16 hr after the last packing and/or trekking period. The RR rose significantly (P<0.05) immediately after packing + trekking and trekking only, from 30.15 ± 0.5 and 27.52 ± 0.5 cycles/min before packing + trekking and trekking only, respectively, to 43.78 ± 3.0 and 46.30 ± 1.8 cycles/min after them, respectively. The HR (76.63 ± 4.5 beats/min) in the packing + trekking donkeys was higher (P<0.05) than that of the trekking-only donkeys (62.33 ± 2.7 beats/min). The acrophase and bathyphase of the HR in both groups were recorded during the photophase and scotophase, respectively, with higher values (P<0.05) in the packing + trekking donkeys than in the trekking-only donkeys. The circadian rhythms of RR and HR did not differ between the groups of donkeys. In conclusion, packing + trekking was more stressful to the donkeys, significantly increasing the HR of donkeys subjected to packing + trekking, compared with trekking only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayodele Stephen AKE
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria,*Corresponding author.
| | - Joseph Olusegun AYO
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
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Muñoz-Prieto A, Cerón JJ, Rubio CP, Contreras-Aguilar MD, Pardo-Marín L, Ayala-de la Peña I, Martín-Cuervo M, Holm Henriksen IM, Arense-Gonzalo JJ, Tecles F, Hansen S. Evaluation of a Comprehensive Profile of Salivary Analytes for the Diagnosis of the Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12233261. [PMID: 36496782 PMCID: PMC9740180 DOI: 10.3390/ani12233261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this report, the measurement of salivary biomarkers as an aid for diagnosis of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) was studied. A comprehensive panel of 23 salivary analytes was measured in the saliva of horses affected by EGUS and compared to healthy animals and horses with other diseases clinically similar to EGUS but with a negative diagnosis at gastroscopic examination. A total of 147 horses were included in the study and divided into heathy population (n = 12), the EGUS group (n = 110), and the group of horses with other diseases (n = 25). From the 23 analytes studied, 17 showed increased values in EGUS horses when compared to healthy ones, and uric acid, triglycerides, and calcium were significantly increased in horses with EGUS compared to the group of other diseases. The receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed a modest but significant discriminatory power of those three analytes to identify EGUS from other diseases with similar symptoms. The discriminatory power enhanced when the results of the three analytes were combined. In conclusion, the results showed that selected salivary analytes could have potential use as biomarkers in horses with EGUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Muñoz-Prieto
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis of the University of Murcia (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
- Clinic for Internal Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - José J. Cerón
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis of the University of Murcia (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Camila P. Rubio
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis of the University of Murcia (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - María Dolores Contreras-Aguilar
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis of the University of Murcia (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Luis Pardo-Marín
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis of the University of Murcia (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ayala-de la Peña
- Animal Medicine and Surgery Department, Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - María Martín-Cuervo
- Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Cáceres, University of Extremadura, Av. de la Universidad S-N, 10005 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Ida-Marie Holm Henriksen
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Veterinary School of Medicine, Sektion Medicine and Surgery, University of Copenhagen, Hoejbakkegaard Allé 5, DK-2630 Høje-Taastrup, Denmark
| | - Julián J. Arense-Gonzalo
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, El Palmar, 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Division of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Fernando Tecles
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis of the University of Murcia (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-868887082
| | - Sanni Hansen
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Veterinary School of Medicine, Sektion Medicine and Surgery, University of Copenhagen, Hoejbakkegaard Allé 5, DK-2630 Høje-Taastrup, Denmark
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Merkel J, Chinnadurai SK. Diagnostic Use of Lactate in Exotic Animals. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract 2022; 25:585-596. [PMID: 36122941 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvex.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring blood lactate concentrations with a handheld, point-of-care (POC) meter is an efficient and inexpensive method of monitoring critically ill or anesthetized exotic patients. Serial monitoring of lactate allows early recognition of hypoperfusion, allowing for prompt implementation of resuscitative efforts. Reference ranges for exotic animals are currently sparse and often gathered from field studies of wild animals. In the absence of reference ranges, extrapolations can be made regarding mammals and birds, but may be more difficult in reptiles and amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Merkel
- Department of Animal Health, Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sathya K Chinnadurai
- Department of Animal Health, Saint Louis Zoo, St Louis, MO 63110, USA; Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA.
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