Monitoring great ape heart health through innovative electrocardiogram technology: Training methodologies and welfare implications
Assessing and treating cardiovascular disease (or heart disease) is a growing concern for institutions housing great apes, as it is a major cause of mortality in all four taxa managed in human care. As part of a proactive monitoring plan, zoological managers and veterinarians often elect to perform electrocardiograms (ECGs) on their great ape populations. […]
Electrocardiography in conscious releasable andean condors (Vultur gryphus): Reference panel and unusual findings
Electrocardiography is a useful tool when included in healthcare protocols and is increasingly utilized for monitoring wild birds. However, the lack of reference data for many species is limiting the clinical value of this technique. In this study 26 Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) coming from rehabilitation and captive breeding programs were examined to determine electrocardiographic […]
The evaluation of two commercial electric sheep stunning systems: current applied and the effect on heart function
The maintenance of head-only minimum stunning currents for sheep to ≥ 1.0 Amp as per current legislation was examined in two trials in a commercial abattoir. In the first trial, a Jetco MS100 stunner failed to maintain the current to > 1.0 Amp in 118 of the 228 sheep. In a second trial, a Jetco […]
Behavioural, brain and cardiac responses to hypobaric hypoxia in broiler chickens
A novel approach to pre-slaughter stunning of chickens has been developed in which birds are rendered unconscious by progressive hypobaric hypoxia. Termed Low Atmospheric Pressure Stunning (LAPS), this approach involves application of gradual decompression lasting 280 s according to a prescribed curve. We examined responses to LAPS by recording behaviour, electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) […]