Abstract

Understanding the physiological changes of animals during physical activity to improve animal welfare is increasing in importance in animal collections that remain under human care.^1,2,3 In order to know if there are pathologic changes in physiological variables related to exercise for a period of time this research shows the results of two parallel studies: The first one in bottlenose dolphin (Tusiops truncatus) during interactive programs with humans and the second in jumping horses (Equus ferus) during a training session in Mexico in a comparative way between species performing activities with humans. In the first research 35 dolphins under human care from five of dolphin discovery facilities (Isla Mujeres, Moon Palace, Maroma, Cozumel y Puerto Aventuras) located in the Mexican Caribbean, have been sampled. For this study the animals were divided by gender (14 males and 16 females) and age (1 to 9 year, 10 to 19 years and over 20 years). In the second study 10 jumping horses from the hipico club in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Also the horses were divided by gender (8 males and 2 females) and age (1 to 9 year, 10 to 19 years and over 20 years). The blood samples were taken in the case of dolphins before and after the first interactive swim program which lasts 45 minutes. With the horses the samples were taken before and after the training session which lasts 1 hour. For both studies, were determined: muscle enzymes (ALT, AST, ALKP and CK), lactic acid, cortisol, hemoglobin (Hg) and hematocrit (Ht); all analytes associated with physical activity and stress. The study variables were compared before and after the interactive program and between males and females and between age groups using tests Student t-statistics and Wilcoxon Rank. In the results for the case of the dolphins we found that the evaluated analytes tend to decrease during the interactive program, which is the case of the Hb, Hto, cortisol and muscular enzymes, just the lactic acid increase but without any pathological findings. We did not observe a significant estadistic behave in the variables, only for the cortisol (p<0.05) in the male group. In the case of the horses all, the analytes increase during the training process except for the enzymes ALT and CK, which didn't present any changes. This research shows for first time the values of lactic acid in blood over a period of activity. The results don´t show pathological changes in the dolphins during an interactive swim program neither jumping horses in a training session.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all the trainers in the dolphin discovery group.

* Presenting author

Literature Cited

1.  Wells R, Schwacke L. 2012. Understanding stress in bottlenose dolphins. Retrieved from http://sarasotadolphin.org/2012/01/17/5389 (VIN editor: Link was not accessible as of 5-1-2017).

2.  Fazio F, Casella S, Assenza A, Arfuso F, Tosto F, Piccione G. 2014. Blood biochemical changes in show jumpers during a simulated show jumping test. Vet Arch. 84143–152.

3.  Hart LB, Wells RS, Kellar N, Balmer BC, Hohn AA, Lamb SV, Rowles T, Zolman E, Schwacke. 2015. Adrenal hormones in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): influential factors and reference intervals. PLoS ONE. 10(5):e0127432. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0127432.