Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2020 | 12(13): 16885–16890
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5552.12.13.16885-16890
#5552 | Received 12 November 2019 | Final
received 28 August 2020 | Finally accepted 18 September 2020
Clinical and pathological
findings in a Dwarf Red Brocket Mazama rufina
(Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae)
attacked by dogs
Eduardo Alfonso Díaz 1,
Gustavo Donoso 2, Carolina Sáenz 3, Ivette Dueñas 4 &
Francisco Cabrera 5
1,2,3 Universidad San Francisco de
Quito USFQ, Hospital de Fauna Silvestre-TUERI, Diego de Robles s/n, Quito
170901, Ecuador.
1,4,5 Universidad San Francisco de
Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria,
Diego de Robles s/n, Quito 170901, Ecuador.
1 eadiaz@usfq.edu.ec (corresponding
author), 2 gustavo.donoso@estud.usfq.edu.ec, 3 csaenz@usfq.edu.ec,
4 iduenas@asig.com.ec,
5 fcabrera@usfq.edu.ec
Editor: Aniruddha Belsare,
Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA. Date
of publication: 26 September 2020 (online & print)
Citation: Díaz, E.A., G. Donoso, C. Sáenz, I. Dueñas & F. Cabrera (2020). Clinical and pathological
findings in a Dwarf Red Brocket Mazama rufina
(Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae)
attacked by dogs. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(13): 16885–16890. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5552.12.13.16885-16890
Copyright: © Díaz et al. 2020. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Publication of this article was funded by the Universidad
San Francisco de Quito Research Publication Fund.
Competing interests: The authors
declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: This study was conducted under
official agreement and permit issued by the Ecuador´s Ministry of Environment
(permit 019-2018-IC-FAU-DNB/MAE), and authorized by the Animal Ethics Committee
of Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ (permit 2018-011). Publication of this article was funded by the
Universidad San Francisco de Quito Research Publication Fund.
Abstract: Capture myopathy is a common
fatal syndrome in wild ungulates resulting from anthropogenic stressful events
such as the capture or transport of specimens.
There are, however, few published data on this issue due to predator
attacks. The present report describes
for the first time the capture myopathy syndrome in a Dwarf Red Brocket Mazama
rufina following dog Canis
familiaris attack. Clinical signs included pale mucous with
increase capillary refill time, tachycardia, tachypnea, hypertension,
hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and red brown urine.
Muscle tremors, ataxia, prostration, paralysis, and opisthotonus
were progressively observed. Laboratory
tests showed increased levels of cortisol, creatinine, creatine kinase, lactate
dehydrogenase, and potassium; decreased blood urea nitrogen-creatinine ratio;
and myoglobinuria. The animal died 72
hours after hospital admission. At
necropsy, findings included injuries on both hindlimbs with edema, emphysema,
and soft-friable texture in affected muscles, dark kidneys and brown urine in
bladder. Histopathological exams were
indicative of skeletal-cardiac muscle degenerative lesions and myoglobinuric
nephrosis. Immuno-histochemistry
revealed myoglobin depletion in degenerate muscles and myoglobin accumulation
in renal tissues. We strongly recommend
that treatment for capture myopathy be initiated when a wild ungulate is
admitted with history of predator attack, since the syndrome may have already
established. This report adds to the
instances of negative impacts caused by domestic dogs on threatened wildlife
species.
Keywords: Capture myopathy, exertional
rhabdomyolysis, myoglobin depletion, myoglobinuric nephrosis, predator attacks,
wild ungulates
The Dwarf Red Brocket Mazama rufina
is a member of the order Cetartiodactyla, family Cervidae, native from montane forest and paramos at altitudes
between 1,500–3,500 m of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Currently, however, the species is restricted
to remnant forest patches and paramos, and population trend is decreasing. The IUCN Red List of Threatened species
classifies it as Vulnerable due to habitat destruction, hunting and predation,
including domestic dog Canis familiaris attacks (Lizcano
& Alvarez 2016).
Domestic dogs are considered a potential threat to 15
threatened species of the order Cetartiodactyla,
including the Dwarf Red Brocker Mazama rufina (Doherty et al. 2017). Specifically, in Ecuador, Zapata-Ríos &
Branch (2016) have documented decreased abundance and altered activity patterns
of this species where dogs were present.
The real impacts of dogs on native species, however, are not currently
recognized in Ecuador, and studies that identify threats to wildlife are needed
(Zapata-Ríos & Branch 2018).
Capture myopathy, or exertional rhabdomyolysis, is a
potentially fatal syndrome commonly documented in wild ungulates (Paterson 2014). The existing reports mainly describe cases
attributed to stressful events such as captures or transport of specimens (Montané et al. 2002b; Hamidieh et
al. 2011; Nuvoli et al. 2014; Zahid et al. 2018).
Although interactions with domestic dogs contribute substantially to admissions
of wild mammals at rescue centers around the world (Wimberger
& Downs 2010; Loyd et al. 2017; Romero et al.
2019; Taylor-Brown et al. 2019), as far as we know, there are no published data
on capture myopathy triggered by dog attacks.
This report describes the diagnosis of capture
myopathy in a Dwarf Red Brocket attacked by dogs in an Ecuadorian mountain
forest, based on the history, clinical signs, laboratory tests, gross necropsy,
histopathology, and immuno-histochemistry findings.
Case History
On 20 January 2019, an adult male Dwarf Red Brocket
was found in a state of shock after dog attacks in a mountain forest of
Pichincha, Ecuador. The specimen was
transported to the wildlife hospital of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito
(USFQ) for evaluation. No chemical
restraint was required for the clinical examination as the patient was
depressed. Blood and urine samples were
collected for laboratory analysis.
Initial treatment included oxygen via facemask and
fluid therapy with warmed lactated Ringer´s solution (3.5ml/kg/hour) through a
catheter placed in the cephalic vein.
Additionally, a bolus of dextrose 50% was administered (1ml/kg
intravenous once). Antibiotic treatment
was also initiated with ceftriaxone (25mg/kg intravenous twice a day) and
metronidazole (15 mg/kg intravenous once a day). For analgesia, meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg
intravenous once a day) was used. We
also injected a prokinetic, metoclopramide (0.1 mg/kg intravenous once a day)
and supplementation with selenium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, D & E
(0.02ml/kg subcutaneous once) were administrated. The patient was then transferred to an
isolation room to monitor the recovery.
The patient died 72 hours after admission.
A complete necropsy was performed two hours
later. Samples from the affected as well
as apparently healthy muscles, heart, and kidneys were collected, fixed in 10%
neutral buffered formalin. After seven
days, we embedded the specimen in paraffin wax, and sections of 4µm were cut to
be stained with hematoxylin and eosin for routine histopathology
evaluation. In addition,
immunohistochemical examination was performed on skeletal and cardiac muscles,
and renal tissue sections using the protocol described by Herráez et al. (2013).
Clinical Results
Upon admission, the Dwarf Red Brocket presented
multiple penetrating fresh wounds in its hindlimbs muscles: gluteus,
quadriceps, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus. Clinical examination revealed pale mucous
membranes, increased capillary refill time, tachycardia, tachypnea,
hypertension, hypothermia and hypoglycemia.
Laboratory tests revealed increased levels of cortisol, creatinine,
creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, potassium, decreased
blood-urea/nitrogen-creatinine ratio, and myoglobinuria (Table 1).
Muscle tremors, ataxia, prostration, paralysis and opisthotonus were progressively documented in the
patient. During the gross post-mortem
examination, multiple lacerations and puncture injuries were observed
macroscopically over the gluteus, quadriceps, semimembranosus, and
semitendinosus muscles. The affected
muscles were edematous and emphysematous with soft friable texture, but no
gross lesions were evident in other muscles.
Kidneys appeared swollen and dark, and the bladder contained brown urine. Microscopically, both affected and apparently
normal muscles showed signs of degeneration (Image 1). Aseptic myositis and severe necrosis were
seen in the skeletal muscles. Myocardial
degeneration adjacent to the pericardium was also observed (Image 2). Kidneys showed signs of tubular and
glomerular degeneration and necrosis, with intra-tubular and glomerular
accumulation of eosinophilic proteinaceous material (Image 3). The immuno-histochemistry exams corroborated
depletion of myoglobin in degenerated muscles (Image 1) and presence of
intra-tubular and glomerular myoglobin where eosinophilic proteinaceous
material was present (Image 3).
Discussion
The clinical signs detected in the present case are in
agreement with those described as characteristic of capture myopathy in wild
ungulates by Paterson (2014); however, although hyperthermia and hyperglycemia
have been described after capture in White-tailed Deer Odocoileus
virginianus (Boesch et al. 2011), our patient
showed hypothermia and hypoglycemia upon examination. Decrease in body temperature and blood
glucose has been documented during transport (Montané
et al. 2002a) and one hour after capture (Montané
et al. 2007) in Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus. The
Dwarf Red Brocket was found just after the dog attacks but the transport to the
hospital took approximately three hours, therefore, the low values could be due
to the
delayed measurement. In fact, 24
hours later the patient reached normal levels of body temperature and blood
glucose.
Capture
myopathy is characterized by muscle injury resulting in release of myofiber
content into the bloodstream. The
diagnosis is based primarily on the findings of elevated serum creatine kinase
levels and myoglobinuria (Nance & Mammen 2015).
The early increase in serum potassium (Bagley et al. 2007) and creatinine
(Zimmerman & Shen 2013) levels are also a consequence of muscle
injury. These alterations have been
described in wild ungulates and are consistent with our findings (Montané et al. 2002b, Nuvoli et
al. 2014).
Muscle damage in wild ungulates is also responsible
for increase in enzymes lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase (Montané et al. 2007; Casas-Díaz et al. 2010). The patient´s laboratory tests corroborated
the increase in lactate dehydrogenase, but not that of aspartate
aminotransferase. In this context,
metronidazole can cause a false decrease in readings of aspartate
aminotransferase when ultraviolet absorbance measurement is used (Plumb
2008). The Dwarf Red Brocket received
metronidazole as antibiotic, and aspartate aminotransferase concentration was
measured by ultraviolet absorbance (Chemray 120 Vet, Rayto Life and Analytical Sciences, Shenzhen 518107,
China), which could explain the low aspartate aminotransferase values.
On the other hand, increase in serum cortisol
concentration has also been observed in wild ungulates subject to stressful
management events (Arzamendia et al. 2010; Carmanchahi et al. 2011; Nuvoli
et al. 2014). There are no cortisol
values reported in a Dwarf Red Brocket, but the values detected in the
present report are higher than previously reported for another species in this
genus (Munerato et al. 2010), corroborating that
serum cortisol can be used as a stress indicator in the species.
Finally, macroscopic, histopathological and
immunohistochemical findings of muscles and kidney necrosis have been
previously described by Nuvoli et al. (2014) in Red
Deer Cervus elaphus,
and suggest an acute renal failure associated with myoglobinuric nephrosis as a
consequence of capture myopathy.
We have described for the first time a fatal myopathy
syndrome in a Dwarf Red Brocket attacked by dogs based on history, physical
examination, clinical signs, laboratory tests, gross necropsy, histopathology
and immuno-histochemical findings. We recommend that capture myopathy should be
considered as a complicating factor in the diagnosis and treatment of wild
ungulates after predatory attacks. This
report also adds to the list of negative impacts on wildlife caused by domestic
dogs .
Table 1.
Biochemical values of a Mazama rufina (post
dog attack blood samples). Normal range values for Mazama temama were obtained from the Zoological Information
Management System database (Species 360 2018), with the exception of cortisol,
which pertains to Mazama gouazoubira (Munerato et al. 2010).
|
Biochemical parameter |
First sample (12h post-admission) |
Second sample (72h post-admission) |
Reference valuesa |
|
AST (U/L) |
3.9 |
7.8 |
47–174 |
|
BUN (mmol/L) |
5.41 |
5.32 |
4.5–13.5 |
|
BUN/C (ratio) |
6.3 |
1.2 |
16.6 (M) |
|
CRE (μmol/L) |
214.2 |
1109.7 |
53–184 |
|
CK (U/L) |
1870 |
1085 |
72–725 |
|
K (mmol/L) |
4.64 |
12.87 |
3.3–7.1 |
|
LDH (U/L) |
ND |
29818 |
366 (M) |
|
COR (ng/ml) |
73.2 |
25.69 |
10.04 |
References
Arzamendia, Y., C. Bonacic & B. Vilá (2010). Behavioural and physiological consequences of capture for shearing of
vicuñas in Argentina. Applied Animal Behaviour
Science 125(3–4): 163–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2010.04.013
Bagley, W.H., H. Yang & K.H.
Shah (2007). Rhabdomyolysis. Internal
and Emergency Medicine 2(3): 210–218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-007-0060-8
Boesch, J.M., J.R. Boulanger, P.D. Curtis, H.N. Erb, J.W. Ludders, M.S. Kraus
& R.D. Gleed (2011). Biochemical variables in free-ranging white-tailed
deer (Odocoileus virginianus) after
chemical immobilization in clover traps or via ground-darting. Journal
of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 42(1): 18–28. https://doi.org/10.1638/2009-0146.1
Carmanchahi, P.D., R. Ovejero, C. Marull, G.C. López, N. Schroeder, G.A. Jahn,
A.J. Novaro & G.M. Somoza (2011). Physiological response of wild guanacos to capture
for live shearing. Wildlife Research 38(1): 61–68. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR10170
Casas-Díaz,
E., I. Marco, J.R. López-Olvera, G. Mentaberre &
S. Lavín (2010). Use of acepromazine for stress control in Spanish ibex
(Capra pyrenaica) captured by drive-net. The
Veterinary Journal 183(3): 332–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.11.003
Doherty, T.S., C.R. Dickman, A.S.
Glen, T.M. Newsome, D.G. Nimmo, E.G. Ritchie, A.T. Vanak
& A.J. Wirsing (2017). The global impacts of domestic dogs on threatened
vertebrates. Biological Conservation 210: 56–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon. 2017.04.007
Hamidieh, H., A. Alhami & J. Mirian (2011).
Capture myopathy in red deer and wild goat. Archives of Razi
Institute 66(2): 147–149.
Herráez,
P., A.E. de Los Monteros, A. Fernández, J.F. Edwards, S. Sacchini
& E. Sierra (2013). Capture myopathy in live-stranded cetaceans. The
Veterinary Journal 196(2): 181–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.09.021
Lizcano, D. & S.J. Alvarez (2016). Mazama rufina. In: IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species 2016:
e.T12914A22165586. Downloaded 12 on November 2019. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T12914A22165586.en
Loyd, K.A.T., S.M. Hernandez & D.L. McRuer (2017). The
role of domestic cats in the admission of injured wildlife at rehabilitation
and rescue centers. Wildlife Society Bulletin 41(1): 55–61. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.737
Montané, J., I. Marco, J. Lopez-Olvera, X. Manteca & S.
Lavin (2002a). Transport stress in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus):
effect of a short-acting antipsychotic. Animal Welfare 11(4): 405–418.
Montané, J., I. Marco, J.R. Lopez-Olvera,
L. Rossi, X. Manteca & S. Lavin
(2007). Effect of acepromazine on the signs of capture stress
in captive and free-ranging Roe Deer (Capreolus
capreolus). Veterinary Record 160(21): 730–738. https://doi.org/10. 1136/vr.160.21.730
Montané, J., I. Marco, X. Manteca, J. López & S. Lavin (2002b). Delayed acute
capture myopathy in three roe deer. Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series A 49(2):
93–98. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0442.2002.jv409.x
Munerato, M.S., Duarte, J.M.B., G.T. Pereira & J.A.
Marques (2010). Effects of physical and chemical
immobilization on hematologic and biochemical variables in captive brown
brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira). Veterinary
Clinical Pathology 39(4): 454–463. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-165X.2010.00264.x
Nance, J.R. & A.L. Mammen (2015).
Diagnostic evaluation of rhabdomyolysis. Muscle & Nerve 51(6):
793–810. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.24606
Nuvoli, S., G.P. Burrai, F. Secci, N. Columbano, G.M. Careddu, L. Mandas, M.A. Sanna, S. Pirino & E. Antuofermo (2014). Capture myopathy in a Corsican red deer Cervus elaphus corsicanus (Ungulata: Cervidae). Italian Journal of Zoology 81(3):
457–462. https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2014.942712
Paterson, J. (2014). Capture myopathy, pp. 171–179. In: West, G., D. Heard
& N. Caulkett (eds). Zoo
Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia. 1st Edition.
John Wiley and Sons, Ames, Iowa.
Plumb, D.C. (2008). Veterinary Drug Handbook. 6th
Edition. Blackwell Publishing, South State Avenue, Iowa, 611pp.
Romero, F., A. Espinoza, N. Sallaberry-Pincheira & C. Napolitano (2019). A five-year retrospective study on patterns of
casuistry and insights on the current status of wildlife rescue and
rehabilitation centers in Chile. Revista
Chilena de Historia Natural 92(1): 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40693-019-0086-0
Species 360 (2018). Zoological Information Management System. Downloaded
on 12 November 2019.
Taylor-Brown, A., R. Booth, A.
Gillett, E. Mealy, S.M. Ogbourne, A. Polkinghorne
& G.C. Conroy (2019). The impact
of human activities on Australian wildlife. PloS
One 14(1): e0206958. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206958
Wimberger, K. & C.T. Downs (2010). Annual intake trends of a large urban animal
rehabilitation centre in South Africa: a case
study. Animal Welfare 19(4): 501.
Zahid, U. N., L.M. Dar, U. Amin,
S.A. Shah, R.Y. Naqash, D.M. Makhdoomi,
S.A. Kamil & I. Suhail (2018). Delayed peracute capture
myopathy in a Himalayan Ibex Capra sibirica
(Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla: Bovidae). Journal
of Threatened Taxa 10(10): 12363–12367. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3899.10.10.12363-12367
Zapata-Ríos, G. & L.C. Branch
(2016). Altered activity patterns and
reduced abundance of native mammals in sites with feral dogs in the high
Andes. Biology Conservation 193: 9–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.10.016
Zapata-Rios, G. & L.C. Branch
(2018). Mammalian carnivore occupancy is
inversely related to presence of domestic dogs in the high Andes of
Ecuador. PloS one 13(2):
e0192346. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192346
Zimmerman, J.L. & M.C. Shen (2013). Rhabdomyolysis. Chest 144(3): 1058–1065. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.12-2016