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Microanatomy of the digestive tract, hooves and some visceral organs of addax antelope (Addax nasomaculatus) following a concentrate or forage feeding regime.
Journal article

Microanatomy of the digestive tract, hooves and some visceral organs of addax antelope (Addax nasomaculatus) following a concentrate or forage feeding regime.

  • Tahas SA Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Hetzel U Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Altenbrunner-Martinek B University Clinic for Ruminants, University for Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
  • Martin Jurado O Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Hammer S Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, Doha, Qatar.
  • Arif A Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, Doha, Qatar.
  • Hatt JM Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Clauss M Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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  • 2018-03-10
Published in:
  • Anatomia, histologia, embryologia. - 2018
Adrenal Glands
Animal Feed
Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Animals
Antelopes
Diet
Gastrointestinal Tract
Hoof and Claw
Liver
English Subacute ruminal acidosis is a common disease in captive non-domesticated ruminants and is mainly diagnosed by rumen fluid pH and rumen histology. Furthermore, differences in ruminant gastrointestinal histology have been hypothesized to correlate with the browser-grazer continuum. Twelve surplus addax antelope (Addax nasomaculatus) were divided into two groups, fed either their usual diet, consisting of a concentrate feed with a limited amount of hay, or a diet of unlimited hay only, for 3 months. After culling, descriptive and morphometric histology and pH measurements were compared between groups. Significant variations in cellular subpopulations were noted between groups, with roughage-fed individuals presenting primarily with balloon cells of the Stratum corneum and living layer cell vacuolization, whereas parakeratosis and intermediate-type cells were more frequent in the concentrate-fed group. Lesions typical of subacute ruminal acidosis were significantly more pronounced in concentrate-fed individuals. Ruminal pH measurements did not differ significantly, but were more consistent in forage-fed individuals, indicating a more stable reticuloruminal environment. The results indicate that ruminal histology may be more appropriate in assessing ruminal health compared to a single post-mortem pH measurement. It is proposed that Stratum corneum balloon cells may indicate cell maturation and not, as previously assumed, hyperfunction. Concentrate-fed individuals scored higher on the presence of inflammatory cells on hoof corium histology. The study further emphasizes the adaptability of ruminant digestive tract microanatomy in adult animals even after a short period of time and the positive effects an increased roughage diet may have in populations of captive grazing ruminants.
Language
  • English
Open access status
closed
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/144582
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