Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. 19 ISSUE 3
Written by Elena MITRANESCU, Oana PUFULESCU, Alexandru Ioan LATARETU, Laurentiu TUDOR, Ciprian Florin FURNARIS
Welfare is an individual state regarding his attempt to cope with living environment, to rank his priorities for using the available energy in relation with his needs. In the Clinical Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Bucharest was conducted a welfare assessment for horses based on shelter environmental conditions and on serum biochemical indicators. To determine the microclimatic conditions were approached the physical factors (air temperature, relative humidity, air draught velocity, light intensity, sound intensity), the chemical factors (concentrations of carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide) and the biological ones (airborne particulates and air bacterial load – total plate count). For the study of serum biochemical profile were taken blood samples, from which were determined by dry biochemistry method, using Vettest 8008 device, 18 parameters: blood urea nitrogen, phosphate, calcium, total proteins, albumin, globulins, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, total bilirubin, triglycerides, glucose, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine, magnesium, cholesterol, ammonia and creatine kinase. The obtained results were compared with the reference values. After determining the microclimate conditions was found that most of the values obtained were appropriate in relation with welfare standards, except for air particulates. Particulate matter exceeded the limits of 1.16 times, originated mostly in fodders, litter and from the animals’ bodies. Regarding the biochemical parameters, most recorded values within the reference ranges for horses, except for Salomeea (female, age 17 years), in which were recorded increased values for calcium, ammonia and creatine kinase and decreased values for phosphate. Correlating the results for microclimate conditions and for serum biochemical parameters can be concluded that animal welfare can be rated as medium to good.
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