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PloS one2018; 13(3); e0194272; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194272

Behaviour during transportation predicts stress response and lower airway contamination in horses.

Abstract: This study aimed to document the effects of an eight hour journey on behavioural, clinical, haematological, environmental and respiratory parameters, and to identify possible associations between factors. Twelve horses underwent clinical examination, respiratory endoscopy with tracheal wash (TW) aspiration, and collection of venous and arterial blood before (BJ) and after the journey (AJ). TW were submitted for conventional quantitative bacteriological evaluation and genetic microbiome analyses. Behaviour was assessed in stables prior to transportation and throughout the journey. Transportation caused mild, but significant, effects on fluid and electrolyte balance and an acute phase response, characterized by neutrophilia, hyperfibrinogenaemia and hyperglobulinaemia. The proportion of neutrophils in TW, tracheal mucus and TW bacterial concentration was increased AJ, with preferential replication of Pasteurellaceae. Horse behaviour en route predicted clinical and respiratory outcomes. The frequency of stress related behaviours was greatest in the first hour of the journey, and balance-related behaviours were most common in the final hour of the journey. Horses which lowered their heads less frequently en route and showed more stress-related behaviours had higher physiological stress (serum cortisol and heart rate on arrival), increased tracheal mucus and inflammation scores, and higher TW bacterial concentration AJ (P<0.05). Six horses with abnormal lung auscultation AJ proved to have had higher tracheal inflammation scores at preloading (P = 0.017), an overall higher concentration of bacteria in their TW (P = 0.013), and an increased percentage of neutrophils in TW at five days AJ (P = 0.003) in comparison to the other horses. While transport-related health problems are multifactorial, clinical examination, including auscultation and endoscopic inspection of the lower respiratory tract before and after journey, and behavioural observation en route may identify animals at increased risk of transport associated respiratory disease.
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Publication Date: 2018-03-22 PubMed ID: 29566072PubMed Central: PMC5863983DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194272Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article examines how transportation impacts a horse’s behavior, clinical parameters, and respiratory health. The researchers discovered that behaviors a horse exhibits during a journey can predict physiological stress responses and the extent of lower airway contamination.

Research Methodology and Demographics

  • The study involved twelve horses that underwent various examinations and tests before and after an eight-hour journey. These included a clinical examination, respiratory endoscopy with tracheal wash (TW) aspiration, and collection of venous and arterial blood.
  • The horse’s behavior was assessed before transportation and during the journey.

Effects of Transportation

  • Transportation caused significant effects on the horses’ fluid and electrolyte balance and produced an acute phase response. This response was marked by neutrophilia, hyperfibrinogenaemia, and hyperglobulinaemia.
  • The proportion of neutrophils in the TW, tracheal mucus, and TW bacterial concentration increased following the journey. There was a preferential replication of a bacterial family called Pasteurellaceae after the journey.
  • Horses’ behavior during transportation could predict their clinical and respiratory outcomes.

Behavioral Observations and Implications

  • Horses who exhibited more stress-related behaviors or lowered their heads less frequently during the journey experienced higher physiological stress, as reflected in elevated serum cortisol and heart rate upon arrival. These horses also had increased tracheal mucus and inflammation scores, and a higher TW bacterial concentration post-journey.
  • Stress-related behaviors were most noticeable during the first hour of transportation. In contrast, balance-related behaviors became more prevalent in the journey’s final hour.

Abnormal Clinical Findings

  • Of the twelve horses, six exhibited abnormal lung sounds after the journey. These horses had higher pre-loading tracheal inflammation scores than the other horses. They also had a higher overall bacteria concentration in their TW and an increased percentage of neutrophils in the TW five days post-journey.

Conclusions and Recommendations

  • Transportation-related health problems in horses are complex and multifactorial. However, careful clinical examination, including listening to the horse’s lungs and endoscopic inspection of the lower respiratory tract before and after a journey, can identify animals at increased risk of developing transport-related respiratory diseases.
  • Additionally, observing a horse’s behavior during a journey can serve as another valuable predictive tool for assessing post-transportation health outcomes.

Cite This Article

APA
Padalino B, Raidal SL, Knight P, Celi P, Jeffcott L, Muscatello G. (2018). Behaviour during transportation predicts stress response and lower airway contamination in horses. PLoS One, 13(3), e0194272. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194272

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Pages: e0194272
PII: e0194272

Researcher Affiliations

Padalino, Barbara
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, HKSAR.
Raidal, Sharanne L
  • School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Stuart University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia.
Knight, Peter
  • Discipline of Biomedical Science, School of Medical Sciences, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Lidcombe, NSW, Australia.
Celi, Pietro
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
  • DSM Nutritional Products, Animal Nutrition and Health, Columbia, Maryland, United States of America.
  • Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Jeffcott, Leo
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Muscatello, Gary
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
  • Bronchoscopy
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / blood
  • Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horse Diseases / physiopathology
  • Horses / blood
  • Horses / microbiology
  • Horses / physiology
  • Hydrocortisone / blood
  • Male
  • Mucus / cytology
  • Neutrophils
  • Pasteurellaceae / isolation & purification
  • Pneumonia / diagnostic imaging
  • Pneumonia / microbiology
  • Pneumonia / physiopathology
  • Pneumonia / veterinary
  • Stress, Physiological / physiology
  • Trachea / diagnostic imaging
  • Trachea / microbiology
  • Transportation

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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