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OJVRTM
Online Journal of
Veterinary Research©
Volume 10 (1) :
20- 25, 2006. Redacted 2018,
Nutritional therapy
modulates stress responses of elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) to
removal of velvet antler.
Cook NJ1, Schaefer AL2, Church JS2
1Alberta
Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Lacombe Research Centre, Lacombe,
Alberta, Canada. T4G W1. 2Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre,
Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, T4G 1W1.
ABSTRACT
Cook
NJ, Schaefer AL, Church JS Nutritional
therapy modulates stress responses of elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) to removal of
velvet antler. Onl J Vet Res., (1)
23-45, 2006. The present paper provides information from two studies
performed in consecutive years on elk Cervus
elaphus canadensis. The animals were pre-treated with a
commercial nutritional therapy product 24 hours prior to removal of velvet
antler (velveting). Stress-induced increases in
metabolic activity were assessed by infrared thermography (IRT) of radiated
heat from an area around the eye. Adrenocortical response was assessed by
plasma and salivary cortisol measurements. Nutritional therapy treatment (NT)
was a commercial formulation containing electrolytes, sugars and selected amino
acids in an alfalfa-based pellet. In Study #1, nutritional therapy was given to
control (CON) and treated (NT) groups of animals on alternate days. In Study
#2, CON and NT treated animals were represented during each day of velvet
removal. In Study #1, plasma and salivary cortisol levels were significantly
elevated in response to velveting (P < 0.0001 and
0.03, respectively). Nutritional Therapy animals exhibited lower salivary
cortisol levels than CON animals (P < 0.0002), particularly for pre-cut and
post-cut samples (P < 0.04 and 0.001, respectively). The saliva:plasma cortisol ratio (%) was significantly lower in
NT animals for all samples (P < 0.0001), samples collected pre-cut (P <
0.02) and post-cut (P < 0.0002). In Study #2, plasma cortisol levels in
post-cut samples were significantly lower (P < 0.02) in the NT group
compared to CON animals and salivary cortisol levels were consistently lower (P
< 0.0001) in NT animals over the first 11 minutes of restraint. In Study #1,
infrared heat losses increased in response to velveting
(P < 0.0001), but were generally lower in NT animals (P < 0.006) and IRT
temperature were significantly lower in NT animals at pre-cut and post-cut (P
< 0.05 and 0.04, respectively). Similar responses in radiated heat losses
occurred in Study #2 for both treatment groups (P < 0.0001). In Study #2,
radiated heat losses were consistently lower in NT animals compared to CON but
differences were not statistically significant. These studies demonstrate that
pre-capture nutritional therapy reduces HPA axis and metabolic responses of elk
to the stress of velveting.
Key Words: Velveting,
nutritional therapy, salivary cortisol, infrared thermography.
Abbreviations: TC, tourniquet
compression; Comp, high-tension compression; EA, electrical analgesia; LIDO,
lidocaine; IRT, infrared thermography; NT, nutritional therapy; CON,
nutritional controls.