Assessment Of Body Condition Research Articles

Validation of the photogrammetric method to assess body condition of an odontocete, the shortfinned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 620:185-200 (2019) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12971 Validation of the photogrammetric method to assess body condition of an odontocete, the shortfinned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus S. R. Noren1,*, L. Schwarz1, K. Chase2, K. Aldrich3, K. McMahon-Van Oss3, J. St. Leger2 1Intitute of Marine Science, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA 2SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego, CA 92109, USA 3SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, FL 32821, USA *Corresponding author: snoren@ucsc.edu ABSTRACT: Validated metrics to monitor body condition of free-ranging animals are critical to track population stability. We tested repeatability and reliability of body width and body length measurements taken from overhead photographs and validated the assumptions upon which the photogrammetric method to monitor cetacean body condition are based. Short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus served as models. Variability was low for multiple measurements taken from 1 photograph and across photographs of the same animal; standard deviations represented 1.2 ± 1.2% and 2.5 ± 1.3% of mean estimates, respectively. To account for body length variations across whales, we calculated mass, width, and blubber indexes as the residual values of these variables regressed against length. Across the sites examined (anterior pectoral fin, anterior dorsal fin, and posterior dorsal fin), only photogrammetric body width at the posterior dorsal fin site showed consistent significant positive relationships with measured condition indexes (i.e. width and blubber index slope = 0.10, p = 0.005; width and mass index slope = 18.1, p < 0.01). Moreover, only the body width to body length ratio at this site predicted mass index (slope = 3105, p = 0.05). Thus, changes in photogrammetrically measured body width posterior of the dorsal fin at approximately 47% of total body length from the rostrum are related to changes in underlying blubber thickness and body mass. The width:length ratio at this site can be used to monitor condition. Additional studies are warranted to determine if body width at this site reliably predicts condition across odontocete species with varying body morphologies. KEY WORDS: Photogrammetry · Body condition · Blubber · Pilot whale · Odontocete · Disturbance Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Noren SR, Schwarz L, Chase K, Aldrich K, McMahon-Van Oss K, St Leger J (2019) Validation of the photogrammetric method to assess body condition of an odontocete, the shortfinned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 620:185-200. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12971 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 620. Online publication date: June 18, 2019 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2019 Inter-Research.

A Rapid UAV Method for Assessing Body Condition in Fur Seals

Condition indices correlating body lipid content with mass and morphometric measurements have been developed for a variety of taxa. However, for many large species, the capture and handling of enough animals to obtain representative population estimates is not logistically feasible. The relatively low cost and reduced disturbance effects of UAVs make them ideal for the rapid acquisition of high volume data for monitoring large species. This study examined the imagery collected from two different UAVs, flown at 25 m altitude, and the subsequent georeferenced orthomosaics as a method for measuring length and axillary girth of Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) to derive an index of body condition. Up to 26% of individuals were orientated correctly (prostrate/sternal recumbent) to allow for body measurements. The UAV-obtained images over-estimated axillary girth diameter due to postural sag on the lateral sides of the thorax while the animals are lying flat in the sternal recumbent position on granite rocks. However, the relationship between axillary girth and standard length was similarly positive for the remotely- and physically-obtained measurements. This indicates that residual values from the remotely-obtained measurements can be used as a relative index of body condition.

Domestic waste disposal sites secure food availability but diminish plasma antioxidants in Egyptian vulture

Some domestic waste disposal sites (DWDS) accumulate enormous amounts of food that humans discard. This food resource is exploited by different species whose population dynamics have as a result been altered. The effects of feeding on human waste on individual health parameters such as body condition are still unknown. Traditionally, body condition in wildlife has been assessed using morphological indices based on size and weight. Expanding the range of indices to include the analysis of indicators at the physiological level can provide a more comprehensive picture of the animals' health status. In this work, we studied how different amounts of waste consumption (assessed using stable isotope analysis) affect nestling health and body condition in an expanding population of the endangered Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus). We used morphometric and physiological approaches, including plasma biochemistry, antioxidant defences and oxidative stress biomarkers. The results of the multivariate redundancy analysis and variance partitioning showed that the proportion of diet originating from DWDS is the main factor explaining physiological indicators in the studied vulture population. Nestlings that were fed on food from DWDS had lower levels of vitamins (e.g. α-tocopherol) and carotenoids (zeaxanthin and lutein), which have important functions as antioxidant defences, immunostimulant properties and ornamental purposes. Nevertheless, nestlings that were fed on food from DWDS were better nourished and experienced fewer food shortages than individuals not fed using this resource, which had lower levels of cholesterol. Possibly due to the easy access to food, breeding pairs using DWDS could have fewer difficulties in feeding their nestlings and thus could engender more regular brood sizes than those not exploiting this type of resource. Our integrative approach using diverse components was crucial for a reliable assessment of health and body condition in Egyptian Vulture nestlings and its relationship to the consumption of food derived from human-altered environments.

Has winter body condition varied with population size in a long-distance migrant, the Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii)?

Assessments of body condition can provide useful information on changes in the state of individuals within a population, which may in turn help to inform conservation efforts. For example, decreases in body condition over time can indicate reduced food resources. Mass and skull length measures recorded for 195 adult and 467 first winter (cygnets) Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) at wintering sites in the UK between winters 1966/1967 and 2017/2018 therefore were analysed to determine whether a ca. 40% decline in numbers in the Northwest European Bewick’s Swan population between 1995 and 2010 corresponded with poorer body condition from the mid-1990s onwards. Parents and siblings were known for all individuals, allowing us to account for shared genetic factors and rearing environment in our analysis. We used linear mixed-effects models and an information-theoretic approach to test different models of temporal variation in scaled body mass index (SBMI). Within our study population, although SBMI values varied both within and between years, we found no evidence of any directional trends in body condition. Of our competing time models of swan SBMI, a model in which age-specific body condition was constant over time received the greatest support in the data. Body condition was greater for adults than cygnets, but did not vary between sexes or wintering sites. Our findings suggest no connection between the recent declines in population size and body condition. Population decline is therefore unlikely to be caused by inadequate food supplies.

Development of a body condition score for the mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax).

The Critically Endangered mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax) has undergone drastic population decline due to habitat loss, hunting, invasive species, and chytridiomycosis. In response, several partner institutions initiated a conservation breeding program. It is important to maintain the captive population in good health. Therefore the program partners have recommended establishment of protocols for health examination of the species, including body condition assessment. Visual body condition scoring is a useful means to assess body condition in zoo animals for which regular bodyweight measurements are impractical or associated with capture-related stress. In this study, the authors developed a visual body condition score for the mountain chicken frog based on an ordinal categorical scale from 1 to 5 (1 = lowest body condition, 5 = highest body condition) using anatomical features that vary with total body energy reserves. Veterinary staff, animal managers, keepers, researchers, and students subsequently used the body condition score to assign scores to 98 mountain chicken frogs (41 male, 57 female) aged between 8 months and 12 years housed in five zoos in the UK and Jersey between February and March 2016. Body condition scores showed moderate (rho = 0.54; males) to strong (rho = 0.6; females) correlation with the scaled mass index, an objective measure of total energy reserves. The majority of pairwise comparisons between scores showed slight to substantial intra-observer agreement (93.8%) and slight to almost perfect inter-observer agreement (97.2%). Cases of poor agreement were likely due to limited observer experience working with the species.

English

A survey on wild ruminants&rsquo; health status of any South African preserves was attempted, assessing body condition score (BCS) through tele-diagnosis. The wildlife BCS was linked to the presence of gastrointestinal parasites that should be recognized, counted and statistically evaluated. For this purpose, we examined 103 faecal samples of wild ruminants from 6 South African preserves. For practical reasons, the animals were divided into two macro-categories: small and large ruminants. The results obtained showed a prevalence of 78.1 and 15.6% in large ruminants for gastrointestinal strongyles (GIS) and coccidian, respectively, while small ruminants showed 92.3% due to GIS and 30.8% for coccidia. No statistically significant difference in the prevalence among the preserves was detected; on the other hand, a low value of BCS corresponds to a greater presence of parasites with statistics difference in the macro-categories (small ruminant x2=5.238; P=0.020; large ruminant x2= 15.215; P&lt;0.001) and sex classes (male x2=5.409; P=0.020; female x2 =17.350; P&lt;0.001). For these reasons, our results provide a practical feedback for the management preserves. The present paper is fully part of the limited experiences of telediagnosis in a conservation perspective. Based on the results obtained, we decided to organize a project that could limit and assess the risk factors in the management of these activities in the South African context. Key words: Wild ruminants, telediagnosis, parasites, body condition scores, South African preserves.

Biometrical measurements as efficient indicators to assess wild boar body condition

Body condition (i.e., the amount of the energy stored in organs and tissues) is a key parameter that has been related with health, reproductive performance and density of wild ungulates including the wild boar (Sus scrofa). In this wild pig, a reference method to assess body condition has not yet been agreed and different procedures have been used in recent literature. The aim of this work was to generate an easy and reliable method based on biometrical measurements and with the ability to predict body fat in live or die boars. For this, a total of 207 hunted wild boar from three Spanish populations with contrasting food availability were included in this study. Sex, age, biometrical parameters (body weight, total length and chest girth) and body condition indicators (brisket and rump fat thickness, kidney fat index (KFI), ratio between chest girth-total length and scaled mass index) were assessed for each animal. A boosted regression trees (BRT) approach was carried out to find models based on age, sex and biometrical features that predicted brisket fat thickness in the studied animals. BRT models including sex, body weight, total length and chest girth as explanatory variables were able to predict brisket fat thickness in wild boar (68–73% of deviance explained). These models were not influenced by the location of sampling and their predictive values showed a good agreement with real brisket fat thickness (94.1–95.6). Predictive values obtained in BRT models from each area also agreed with food availability suggesting this is a valid indicator of body condition of wild boar in a broad range of environmental conditions.

Fat reserve assessment in Pyrenean chamois using body measurements

Body condition is a measure of the energetic reserves stored in tissues and organs of animals in anticipation of periods of special energetic demands or to attenuate food shortages. For more than half a century, the kidney fat index (KFI) has been the most common invasive method for assessing body condition in ungulates. Since KFI requires animal necropsy, other non-invasive indicators based on body measurements have been suggested to assess body condition of mammals. These include the residuals from an ordinary least squares regression of body mass and linear measure of size (OLSr), the scores from a Principal Components Analysis on body measurements (PCAsc), and the scaled mass index (SMI). These indices, however, are often difficult to interpret and little effort has been made to confirm whether they are related to direct measures of fat reserves. We used the Bland-Altman method and linear models applied to biometric data to explore whether these three biometric indices can be used to assess body condition in 94 adult male and female Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica). Animals were hunter-harvested in the Eastern Pyrenees (Spain) during two contrasting periods of food availability. We found that OLS residuals from the regression between body weight and hind foot length were the best proxy for fat reserves in both periods of the year. This simple, low cost and non-invasive biometric indicator can be used for monitoring body condition of chamois populations and probably in other ungulate species with similar life strategies.

Body Condition Scoring for Adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Body condition scoring (BCS) is a simple, rapid, noninvasive tool used to assess body condition in animals. In this study, we developed and validated a diagram-based BCS for adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), a popular research model. After receiving 20 min of hands-on training regarding the scoring system, 5 people each rated 95 adult zebrafish. The fish then were euthanized and measured to establish body condition indices (BMI and the Fulton K factor). Both condition indices were highly correlated with fish width. Using correlation data and observed trends in fish width, we established expected BCS definitions. We validated the BCS definitions in 2 ways. First, we calculated the Pearson correlation coefficient between the average observed BCS and expected BCS; this statistic revealed very strong correlation between observed and expected BCS. In addition, we assessed the predictive power of BCS by using multinomial logistic regression and then applied the fitted model to evaluate the accuracy of the predictions (BCS compared with BMI, 85%; BCS compared with K factor, 61%). Finally, to determine the robustness of BCS to variation among raters, we calculated the intraclass correlation coefficient and demonstrated high interrater reliability. In conclusion, adult zebrafish BCS can be used to quickly identify animals with different body condition indices (thin to obese). In addition, the diagram-based chart is easy to use and implement accurately, with minimal training.

Evaluating methods to assess the body condition of female polar bears

An animal's body condition provides insight into its health, foraging success, and overall fitness. Measures of body composition including proportional fat content are useful indicators of condition. Isotopic dilution is a reliable non-destructive method for estimating the body composition of live mammals, but can require prolonged handling times. Alternatively, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) has promise as a quick method for estimating the body composition of live mammals, but measurements can potentially be affected by field conditions. Body condition indices (BCI) and energy density models can also be used to assess body condition based on morphological measurements, but may not reliably reflect an animal's energy stores. Here we evaluate BIA, BCI, and an energy density model in measuring the energy stores of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus). We examine the relationship between total body fat (TBF) derived from isotopic dilution to these alternative methods for 9 female polar bears from 14 captures on the sea ice of the southern Beaufort Sea in April 2014–2016. An energy density model, BCI, and BIA-derived measures of TBF were poor predictors of TBF derived from isotopic dilution. We suggest energy density, BCI, and BIA may not be predictive of an animal's body fat at fine scales (e.g., among individuals within the same sex, reproductive status, and season). In particular, BIA should provide similar measures of body composition as isotopic dilution, but it failed to reliably measure TBF of individual bears. These limitations in the precision of body condition measures should be considered when planning future studies.

Genomic regions and pathways associated with gastrointestinal parasites resistance in Santa In\xeas breed adapted to tropical climate

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to estimate variance components and to identify genomic regions and pathways associated with resistance to gastrointestinal parasites, particularly Haemonchus contortus, in a breed of sheep adapted to tropical climate. Phenotypes evaluations were performed to verify resistance to gastrointestinal parasites, and were divided into two categories: i) farm phenotypes, assessing body condition score (BCS), degree of anemia assessed by the famacha chart (FAM), fur score (FS) and feces consistency (FC); and ii) lab phenotypes, comprising blood analyses for hematocrit (HCT), white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), platelets (PLT) and transformed (log10) egg per gram of feces (EPGlog). A total of 576 animals were genotyped with the Ovine SNP12k BeadChip (Illumina, Inc.), that contains 12,785 bialleleic SNP markers. The variance components were estimated using a single trait model by single step genomic BLUP procedure.ResultsThe overall linkage disequilibrium (LD) mean between pairs of markers measured by r2 was 0.23. The overall LD mean between markers considering windows up to 10 Mb was 0.07. The mean LD between adjacent SNPs across autosomes ranged from 0.02 to 0.10. Heritability estimates were low for EPGlog (0.11), moderate for RBC (0.18), PLT (0.17) HCT (0.20), HGB (0.16) and WBC (0.22), and high for FAM (0.35). A total of 22, 21, 23, 20, 26, 25 and 23 windows for EPGlog for FAM, WBC, RBC, PLT, HCT and HGB traits were identified, respectively. Among the associated windows, 10 were shown to be common to HCT and HGB traits on OAR1, OAR2, OAR3, OAR5, OAR8 and OAR15.ConclusionThe traits indicating gastrointestinal parasites resistance presented an adequate genetic variability to respond to selection in Santa Inês breed, and it is expected a higher genetic gain for FAM trait when compared to the others. The level of LD estimated for markers separated by less than 1 Mb indicated that the Ovine SNP12k BeadChip might be a suitable tool for identifying genomic regions associated with traits related to gastrointestinal parasite resistance. Several candidate genes related to immune system development and activation, inflammatory response, regulation of lymphocytes and leukocytes proliferation were found. These genes may help in the selection of animals with higher resistance to parasites.

Growth and mortality of sympatric white‐tailed and mule deer fawns

ABSTRACTPopulation growth rates of cervids are sensitive to changes in adult female survival, but fawn recruitment tends to be the population vital rate most susceptible to density‐dependent population‐level influences. We conducted a study of fawn survival rates and related biology in northwest Crockett County, Texas, USA, during 2004–2007 in an area where white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (O. hemionus eremicus) existed sympatrically. Our fawn study was justified by the need to explain annual variation in female‐to‐fawn ratios apparent during field surveys. Using vaginal implant transmitters in radio‐marked adult females to locate birth sites, we captured, weighed, and radio‐collared fawns on 4 privately owned ranches. We monitored collared fawns daily and investigated mortalities within 24 hours of receiving a mortality signal to determine cause of death. When possible, we collected thymus glands to assess body condition. We captured 170 fawns (64 white‐tailed deer; 106 mule deer), of which 145 were of known‐age from collared females, and found that relatively heavy adult females birthed relatively heavy fawns. We also noted that mass gain of fawns and mass of fawns’ thymus glands were very low compared to other studies of fawns. We documented mortalities: 47 by predation, 47 by sickness‐starvation, 1 by conspecific trauma, and 3 undeterminable. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) were responsible for nearly all fawn predation; thymus gland and fawn mass data indicated that bobcats did not select weaker fawns. We used proportional hazards regression to assess factors influencing fawn survival and competing risks of mortality and made comparisons between the species when possible. We censored 6 fawns from our analyses and found that half of mortalities occurred within 15 days postpartum, and 12 of the 139 known‐age fawns (9%) died within 25 m of the birth site. Fawn survival was 78% at 6 days old, which was the median estimated age‐at‐capture of fawns from unknown adults. Annual fawn survival rate ranged from 50% for fawns born in 2004 to 17% for fawns born in 2006, with no overall effect of species. Fawn survival was greatest in 2004 when rain during the May–August late‐gestation and lactation period was greatest. Mule deer fawns succumbed more to sickness‐starvation than did white‐tailed deer fawns. Rates of sickness‐starvation and predation increased with deviance from mean annual birth dates and with reduced rain during the late‐gestation and lactation period. Early fawn survival increased with relative fawn mass, and sex became important at about 30 days postpartum, after which males were at greater risk of sickness‐starvation. Lunn‐McNeil competing‐risks models suggested some interaction between sickness‐starvation and predation. Fawn mortality, mass gain, thymus mass, and weaning data indicated that the populations of both deer species were chronically stressed near a carrying capacity that fluctuated annually with rain and that adult females invested little energy in rearing fawns relative to captive females. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

A functional approach to the body condition assessment of lactating donkeys as a tool for welfare evaluation.

BackgroundThe breeding of lactating donkeys is increasing in Western Europe; with it the evaluation of body condition is growing in importance since it is considered a key principle for their welfare. However, assessment of body condition is a complex task, since several factors are involved. The aim of the present study is to investigate which animal-based indicators are the most reliable to describe the body condition of lactating donkeys. For this purpose, new animal-based indicators, which are easy to measure in field conditions (including body measurements, fatty neck score (FNS), dental score), are recorded and their relationship with BCS (a proxy measure for overall adiposity) was assessed. The ones that reveal an association with the BCS are included in an integrated principal component analysis to understand which are the most related to BCS.MethodsFifty-three healthy lactating donkeys of various breeds, including 7 Martina Franca, 10 Ragusano, 2 Romagnolo and 34 crossbreeds, were evaluated. The animal-based indicators that were recorded were: length (OP, olecranon tuber-pinbone and SH, shoulder-hip), heart girth (HG), abdominal circumference (AC), neck length (NL), neck height (NH) and neck thickness (NT) at 0.50 and neck circumference (NC) at 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75, body condition score (BCS) and fatty neck score (FNS). The owners’ evaluation of the BCS was also considered. A dental assessment was performed and the month of lactation and age of each animal was recorded.ResultsNo correlation was found between BCS and the other morphometric body measurements. On the contrary the FNS was correlated with the morphometric measurements of the neck (positive correlation to 0.50 NH and 0.50 NT, 0.50 NC, 0.75 mean NC, and negative correlation to the mean NC:NH and mean NC:NT, 0.50 NC:NT and 0.50 NC:NH ratios). A significant inverse relationship was identified between BCS and dental score. A Principal Component analysis (PCA) separated the BCS classes on the first principal component (PC1). PC1 revealed a meaningful positive correlation between the BCS and the neck measurements (NT, NH and FNS), with high positive loadings, while a negative correlation was found for dental abnormalities. The owners’ evaluation of BCS was different from the expert evaluator’ assessment, since they tended to give higher score that was slightly but significantly correlated to AC.DiscussionA new scoring system, called Fatty Neck Score (FNS), has been proposed for the judgement of the adiposity status of donkey neck. The results suggest that caregivers might use the proposed animal based indicators (BCS, FNS and dental scores) together as a tool for the evaluation of the body condition of lactating donkeys. Our findings highlight that caregivers need to be trained in order to be able to properly record these indicators. Ultimately use of these indicators may help to improve the welfare of lactating donkeys.

Automatic Assessing Body Condition Score from Digital Images by Active Shape Model and Multiple Regression Technique

Automatic Assessing Body Condition Score from Digital Images by Active Shape Model and Multiple Regression Technique

Does Kidney Fat Index Determine Body Condition of the Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in Luangwa River, Zambia?

The body condition of common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in Luangwa River, eastern Zambia was assessed using Kidney Fat Index. Thirty-two (32) hippopotamus carcasses from culled specimens were picked at random to assess body condition. Using a sharp knife, kidneys were extracted from the lumen of each of the 32 hippopotamus carcasses. The whole kidney with surrounding fat was weighed in grammes using a solar powered digital weighing scale. The fat deposited immediately around the kidney (ignoring the fat extending anteriorly and posteriorly in the kidney mesentery), was removed and re-weighed. Kidney Fat Index index of 40 percent was obtained suggesting poor body condition rating of 40.91 percent Left kidneys had 40.20 percent and the right kidneys 41.63 percent Kidney Fat Index varied significantly between seasons (i£ 2 = 55.99, DF= 8, ii= 0.05, P < 0.001), being higher during the first half of the year January - June when pasture was in good condition and lower in the last half of the year July - December, when grass was of poor quality. Quality of pasture per season determined body condition of hippopotamus. More research is required to establish hippopotamus body condition classes during years of good rains and drought.

In this issue – November 2016

In this issue – November 2016

Assessment of Body Condition in African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) Elephants in North American Zoos and Management Practices Associated with High Body Condition Scores.

Obesity has a negative effect on health and welfare of many species, and has been speculated to be a problem for zoo elephants. To address this concern, we assessed the body condition of 240 elephants housed in North American zoos based on a set of standardized photographs using a 5-point Body Condition Score index (1 = thinnest; 5 = fattest). A multi-variable regression analysis was then used to determine how demographic, management, housing, and social factors were associated with an elevated body condition score in 132 African (Loxodonta africana) and 108 Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants. The highest BCS of 5, suggestive of obesity, was observed in 34% of zoo elephants. In both species, the majority of elephants had elevated BCS, with 74% in the BCS 4 (40%) and 5 (34%) categories. Only 22% of elephants had BCS 3, and less than 5% of the population was assigned the lowest BCS categories (BCS 1 and 2). The strongest multi-variable model demonstrated that staff-directed walking exercise of 14 hours or more per week and highly unpredictable feeding schedules were associated with decreased risk of BCS 4 or 5, while increased diversity in feeding methods and being female was associated with increased risk of BCS 4 or 5. Our data suggest that high body condition is prevalent among North American zoo elephants, and management strategies that help prevent and mitigate obesity may lead to improvements in welfare of zoo elephants.

Can you estimate body composition in dogs from photographs?

BackgroundA validated method for assessing the visual characteristics of body condition from photographs (vBCS), would be a useful initial screening tool for client-owned dogs.MethodsIn this retrospective study, photographs taken before and after weight loss from 155 overweight and obese dogs attending a weight management referral clinic were used in designing and testing the feasibility of vBCS. Observers with a range of experience examined the photographs, and estimated body condition indirectly (vBCS) using three different methods. In the first method (vBCSmeasured), the ratio of abdominal width to thoracic width (A:T) was measured, and cut-points used to determine body condition; the second method (iBCSsubjective) involved semi-quantitative examination using visual descriptors of BCS; the third (vBCSadjusted) was a combined approach whereby A:T ratio was first determined, and the final score modified if necessary after assessing photographs.ResultsWhen an experienced observer performed vBCS, there were moderate-to-good associations between body fat (measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and the three vBCS methods (median Rs: 0.51-0.75; P < 0.001), and also moderate-to-substantial agreement with actual BCS (median kappa 0.51–0.63; P < 0.001). For operators with a range of experience, moderate-to-substantial agreement was generally seen between actual BCS and the scores determined by all three methods (median Kappa 0.55–0.70, P < 0.001), but the strength of agreement varied amongst observers. Age, sex, breed, coat length, and coat colour had no significant effect on vBCS (P > 0.05 for all). Compared with ideal weight and obese dogs, errors in assessing body condition were more common for overweight dogs (e.g. BCS 6–7/9, P < 0.001) by vBCSadjusted (P = 0.008), and vBCSsubjective (P = 0.021), but not by vBCSmeasured (P = 0.150). For vBCSadjusted, body condition was most often overestimated whilst, for vBCSsubjective, body condition was most often under-estimated.ConclusionsAn estimate of body condition can be obtained from an indirect assessment of photographs, but performance varies amongst observers.

Assessing body condition in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus): a comparison of new and old methods

Body condition is an important aspect of the health of any animal. The current standard method of body condition assessment in the platypus is the tail volume index (TVI). Although the tail is the largest repository of fat in the platypus, the reliability of TVI has not been adequately demonstrated. The aims of this study were, first to assess performance of the TVI, and second, to develop and evaluate performance of new techniques for routine field assessment of platypus body condition. Morphometric data were collected under anaesthesia from 137 adult wild platypuses (74 males, 63 females) captured in north-west Tasmania; ultrasound images of tail fat were also collected from 100 of these individuals (54 males, 46 females). Three new indices for platypus body condition were identified. An objective tail fat index (Relative Tail Fat Volume: RTFVTBL) was developed, based on cross-sectional area measurements taken from detailed ultrasound images compared with total body length (TBL). Two body condition indices intended for routine field use were developed – one based on body mass (mb) and bill width (BW) (Body Condition Index; BCIBW), and the other based on a single linear ultrasonographic measurement of tail fat depth and BW (Relative Fat Depth; RFDBW). Results indicated that RFDBW outperforms TVI as an index of platypus tail fat. Further work, however, is needed to determine the relationship between tail fat and total body fat in the platypus before conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of BCIBW as a body condition index.

VALIDATION OF ULTRASOUND AS A NONINVASIVE TOOL TO MEASURE SUBCUTANEOUS FAT DEPTH IN LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLES (DERMOCHELYS CORIACEA).

Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) undergo substantial cyclical changes in body condition between foraging and nesting. Ultrasonography has been used to measure subcutaneous fat as an indicator of body condition in many species but has not been applied in sea turtles. To validate this technique in leatherback turtles, ultrasound images were obtained from 36 live-captured and dead-stranded immature and adult turtles from foraging and nesting areas in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Ultrasound measurements were compared with direct measurements from surgical biopsy or necropsy. Tissue architecture was confirmed histologically in a subset of turtles. The dorsal shoulder region provided the best site for differentiation of tissues. Maximum fat depth values with the front flipper in a neutral (45-90°) position demonstrated good correlation with direct measurements. Ultrasound-derived fat measurements may be used in the future for quantitative assessment of body condition as an index of health in this critically endangered species.