Capture Stress and Myopathy in Wild Animals

Capture Stress and Myopathy in Wild Animals

Capture stress and myopathy in wild animals is commonly seen pathology of muscles and nervous system.

Capture Stress

Capture stress is defined as the “cumulative response” and may be considered as the end result of the wild animal’s interaction with it’s environment through receptors.

The quantum of reactions in the wild animal depends on the degree of stress perceived by the concerned wild animal species.

Classification of Stressors

The stressors may be classified into following types:

Somatic Stressors

Changes in the position of body, unexpected touch reflexes, unusual sightings, extremes of climate like severe hotness or severe coldness, pressure applications on the body regions and running impacts on whole body as happens during the chasing activities in the concerned wild animal species can be had as examples.

Psychological stressors

Strange situations, changes in the routine activities happening in or near the enclosures, fear senses, placement of the wild animal in the unaccustomed place or habitat can be had as examples.

Behavioural stressors

Over crowding, social deprivation, hierarchical upsets, lack of imprinting personnel or animal, lack of parents, lack of habitual food materials, unfamiliar environmental conditions etc. form the associated factors of behavioural stressors.

Other types of stressors

Poor body conditions like obesity, emaciation, hypoglycemia, pulmonary problems leading to the derangement in the respiratory functions, imbalanced nutrition, parasitic diseases, burns, types of immobilizations adapted for the concerned wild animal species etc. form the factors in this group.

Responses of Wild Animals to Different types of stressors

The responses of various species of wild animals reared in captive condition or in free ranging conditions may vary depending on many factors like place of capture, type of medical agents used in the concerned wild animal species, type of stress factors, the degree of stress factors etc.

Symptoms of capture stress need to be thoroughly understood by the attending veterinarian in zoological park or zoo or zoological garden. This may help to attend the concerned wild animal species in a successful manner without causing problem to the life of the targeted wild animal species.

In short, it can be said that there is an involvement of sympathetic nervous system-adrenal medulla pathway and hypothalamic, adeno hypophyseal and adrenocortical pathway, in all these stress related responses of wild animals.

Capture Myopathy

Capture Myopathy is one of the important pathological changes that occur in case of wild animals due to the stress factors during the restraint operation.

Capture Myopathy condition may affect different species of wild animals that may endanger the life of the wild fauna and hence, the attending veterinarian needs to understand base line information about the various features pertaining to the capture myopathy.

Clinical Symptoms

  • Stiffness
  • Torticollis
  • Tremor
  • Lameness
  • Emaciation
  • Hemoglobinuria
  • Myoglobinuria etc.
  • Cramping of muscles in strange or unnatural positions may be seen in the affected wild animals.
  • Death may occur finally if not attended in a proper manner.

Treatment of Capture Myopathy

  • Depending on the clinical status, corticosteroids may be given to combat the inflammatory responses.
  • The animals have to be attended with vitamin E injection and Selenium-vitamin E combinations.
  • Sodium bicarbonate may be given by means of intra-venous route at rate of four to six mEq per kg body weight.
  • Parenteral B complex vitamins may be provided along with balanced nutrition.
  • Corrective measures against the hyperkalemia and the thermo-regulatory derangements.
  • Respiratory problems need to be corrected if any.
  • The affected wild animal needs to be kept in a place with cool environment.

Prophylaxis of Capture Myopathy

  • Keep the calm status in the environment prior to the immobilization.
  • Don’t chase the animal to the possible extent prior to the chemical immobilization.
  • Never excite the wild animal to be immobilized with medicaments.
  • Avoid making unnecessary sounds near the animal enclosure.
  • Avoid taking strangers nearer to the wild animal to be sedated.
  • Try to immobilize the wild animal after the confinement in a smaller space. This helps to avoid the unnecessary stress by chasing during the targeting activities.
  • Avoid placement of ruminants like blackbuck in lateral recumbency for prolonged periods, during therapy.
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