Suspected transportation-associated myopathy in a dolphin

Area of Science:

• Marine biology
• Veterinary medicine
• Animal physiology

Background:

• Marine mammals, such as bottlenose dolphins, are susceptible to stress-related conditions during transport.
• Capture myopathy is a well-documented condition in wild terrestrial animals, characterized by muscle damage due to capture and handling stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document and analyze a case of prolonged immobility and muscle damage in a Pacific bottlenose dolphin following transportation.
• To explore potential similarities between the dolphin's condition and capture myopathy observed in terrestrial wildlife.

Main Methods:

• Observation of clinical signs including depression and immobility in a Pacific bottlenose dolphin post-transport.
• Biochemical analysis of blood samples to measure Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities.
• Comparison of clinical and biochemical findings with known characteristics of capture myopathy.

Main Results:

• The dolphin exhibited severe depression and immobility after 22.5 hours of transportation.
• Elevated levels of Creatine phosphokinase and Lactate dehydrogenase were detected, indicating significant muscle damage.
• The observed condition presented clinical similarities to capture myopathy in wild terrestrial animals, despite a definitive diagnosis not being reached.

Conclusions:

• Prolonged transportation can induce severe physiological stress and muscle damage in Pacific bottlenose dolphins.
• The clinical presentation suggests that marine mammals may be susceptible to capture myopathy-like syndromes.
• Further research is warranted to understand and mitigate transport-induced stress and muscle damage in cetaceans.