Dietary cation–anion difference may explain why ammonium urate nephrolithiasis occurs more frequently in common bottlenose dolphins ( ) under human care than in free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 1396 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Ardente ◽  
R. S. Wells ◽  
C. R. Smith ◽  
M. T. Walsh ◽  
E. D. Jensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Human Care ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Ammonium Urate

Dietary Effects on Urinary Physicochemistry in Navy Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) for the Prevention of Ammonium Urate Kidney Stones

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Michele Meegan ◽  
Amanda J. Ardente ◽  
John R. Poindexter ◽  
Mark Baird ◽  
Brittany Novick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Kidney Stones ◽  
Saturation Index ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Nutrient Analysis ◽  
Professional Care ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Ammonium Urate

Bottlenose dolphins are susceptible to developing ammonium urate (NH4U) kidney stones. The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that diet influences the urinary physicochemistry risk factors associated with nephrolithiasis in dolphins. A comprehensive nutrient analysis was performed revealing that the baseline diet (BD) commonly fed to dolphins under professional care had a greater purine content and a more negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) when compared with a model diet consumed by free-ranging dolphins. A modified diet (MD) was formulated to include free-ranging diet fish species and achieve a more positive DCAD. The BD had a more negative DCAD (-52 mEq/Mcal metabolizable energy) when compared to the MD (+ 51 mEq/Mcal ME) which more closely approximated the DCAD of the free-ranging model diet (+ 152 mEq/Mcal ME). Six dolphins (with stones) were fed the BD followed by the MD for a minimum of 4 weeks. At the end of each feeding trial, a 6-hour continuous urine collection was performed to compare urine parameters of dolphins fed the BD versus MD. Dolphins consuming the MD demonstrated a significant decrease in urinary ammonium, net acid excretion, saturation index of ammonium urate, and phosphorous, and a significant increase in urinary citrate and net GI alkali absorption, as compared with urine parameters assessed when fed the BD. Increasing the proportion of free-ranging diet fish species and optimizing the DCAD, positively influenced some of the risk factors believed to be associated with NH4U kidney stone development in bottlenose dolphins under professional care.

scholarly journals Activity Budget Comparisons Using Long-Term Observations of a Group of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under Human Care: Implications for Animal Welfare

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2107
Author(s):  
Tim Huettner ◽  
Sandra Dollhaeupl ◽  
Ralph Simon ◽  
Katrin Baumgartner ◽  
Lorenzo von Fersen
Keyword(s):  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Activity Budget ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Training Performance ◽  
Behavioral Observations ◽  
Daily Training ◽  
Human Care ◽  
Over Time ◽  
The Welfare State

Zoos and aquaria must provide optimal husbandry conditions and the highest welfare standards for their animals. How the welfare state of an animal or a group of animals can be precisely assessed is currently under debate, and new approaches are necessary to reliably evaluate changes in welfare. One particular measure that is easily applicable is behavioral observations. However, for dolphins and other cetaceans under human care, reliable behavior-based measures are rare. Using long-term observations of a group of bottlenose dolphins, we investigate how their activity budgets and different behaviors changed over time and are impacted by construction noise. Additionally, we investigate whether behavioral differences are also reflected in changes in the dolphins’ performance during daily training sessions. Our results show that construction noise significantly alters the dolphins’ behavior. Play behavior decreases during construction periods; most importantly, the frequency of fast swimming activities significantly increased, and at the same time, a decrease in training performance is found. Additionally, inter- and intraindividual behavioral differences are attributed to factors, such as age or weaning. Significant changes in a dolphin’s activity budget can also pose potential welfare concerns. Thus, this study highlights the importance of regularly assessing and analyzing the behavior of dolphins under human care. Behavioral observations are essential welfare indicators and can—when complemented with other measures, such as assessment of training performance—provide zoo staff with important information about each individual’s state of welfare.

Human Interactions with Free-Ranging and Captive Bottlenose Dolphins

Anthrozoös ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni G. Frohoff ◽  
Jane M. Packard
Keyword(s):  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Human Interactions ◽  
Free Ranging

scholarly journals PAPILLOMAVIRUS ANTIBODY PREVALENCE IN FREE-RANGING AND CAPTIVE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS)

2010 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Rehtanz ◽  
Shin-je Ghim ◽  
Wayne McFee ◽  
Bethany Doescher ◽  
Géraldine Lacave ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Antibody Prevalence ◽  
Free Ranging
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