Abstract
This study investigated whether abdominal ultrasonography, a frequently used examination method in clinics and hospitals, causes stress in dogs. For the study, 10 healthy dogs were used. Following general examination, intravenous catheters were placed in the V. cephalica accecorius of the dogs and blood specimens were collected to obtain serum and plasma samples (minute 0). After a 30- min break, ultrasonography was applied following shaving of the abdominal region. Serum and plasma samples were collected from the intravenous catheters at the 5th, 15th, and 20th minutes of the ultrasonographic examination during which the urinary bladder, left kidney, spleen, stomach, liver, right kidney, transverse colon, and ascending colon were examined. The total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), nitric oxide (NOx), and cortisol levels of serum and plasma samples were analyzed and differences were statistically determined with respect to time. No statistically significant time-dependent changes in the TAS and cortisol values were observed. However, there was a time-dependent change in the TOS and NOx values, but when comparing all the times, no changes were observed. The results showed that abdominal ultrasonographic examination, a routinely and frequently used method, does not induce any stress factors and therefore cannot lead to health problems.
Highlights
Animal welfare is a state of mental and physical health in which the animal is in harmony with its environment and has adapted without suffering
The highest total oxidant status (TOS) value was determined at minute 5 with a mean and standard deviation of 5.133 ± 0.362, while the lowest TOS value was determined at minute 0 with a mean and standard deviation of 3.240 ± 0.419 (Table; Figures 1 and 2)
In this study, the total antioxidant status (TAS) and TOS measurements were used to determine the systemic effects of oxidative stress
Summary
Animal welfare is a state of mental and physical health in which the animal is in harmony with its environment and has adapted without suffering. Many manipulations used in veterinary medicine during the animal production stage or in an effort to protect animal health can negatively affect animal welfare [3]. In general, is defined as the reaction of an organism to harmful environmental conditions that can lead to undesired consequences such as discomfort, or even death [4]. It can be defined as the nonspecific reactions of an organism to internal and external factors, or the mutual interaction between stress elements and defense reactions [5]. Stress has been reported to cause problems that can affect life and productivity via lipid peroxidation, protein denaturation, and DNA mutations in cells [6]
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