Abstract

Capture myopathy is a syndrome that occurs in domestic and wild animals. It has been described in several wild ruminants and occasionally in primates, marsupials, equids, canids, and birds. It is a dynamic and complex process involving fear perception, sympathetic nervous system, and alteration of adrenal glands and muscular activity. An intensive muscular activity leads to an accumulation of lactic acid, severe metabolic acidosis, and secondary muscle necrosis. The process can be presented in four ways: ataxic myoglobinuric syndrome, shock syndrome, ruptured muscle syndrome, and delayed peracute syndrome. The clinical signs are pain, stiffness, inability to rise, oliguria, and depression. The literature suggests that capture myopathy has no predilection by sex or age between the susceptible species. The objective of this abstract is to describe the report of a capture myopathy case in a wild adult female of collared peccary (Tayassu pecari), captured in a live trap during the fauna rescue of Sérgio Motta hydroelectric power plant in the Presidente Epitácio region, São Paulo, Brazil. After 24 hours of capture, the animal presented impotence of the pelvic limbs with difficulty of locomotion. The treatment was not successful, so the animal was euthanized. After the sacrifice of the animal, the necropsy was done, and the gross exam showed extensive areas of pale muscle mixed areas of normal coloration in skeletal muscles of both pelvic limbs. In the histopathologic exam, multiple areas of muscular necrosis were seen, with hyalinization and loss of muscular fibers, associated to normal areas of musculature and connective tissue. The gross and microscopic findings associated with the clinical symptomatology and history are compatible with the diagnostic of myopathy. When managing this species of animal this syndrome should be considered and prevented.