Abstract

Our dolphins are facing critical symptoms because of ingested foreign substance in forestomach, especially leaves.^1-3 Three different symptoms were found depending on the type and amount of ingested leaves. Clinical finding, the blood, gastric and feces check are suggested to be useful to reveal the dolphins' emergency level caused by the ingested leaves. Furthermore, the prevention was done by training and adjusting the facilities.^1-3 Thus, the ingestion was decreased.

The average amount of the ingested leaves in these eight years were reviewed to classify our dolphins to three groups: broadleaves and/or algae consumer, fibrous leaf consumer, and minimal leaf consumer.

Class 1: Broadleaves and/or Algae Consumer

(The average: 4.2 to ~ 12.1 kg/year)

When broadleaves and/or algae are the main contents, it is hard to check the change of behavior and appetite. Too much amount of the ingested leaves would lead to anorexia. One of the dolphins consumed 17 kg leaves and it caked in forestomach. The dolphin was lost due to nutritional disorder in spite of the effort to take out leaves and continue to maintain therapy.

In this class, gastric fluid has brownish oil with leaves; few inflammation signs are found through cytology.⁴ The smell of the mouth and breath informs a large amount of leaves in forestomach. Ultimately, hyperbilirubinemia was observed because the expanded forestomach leads to biliary obstruction.

Class 2: Fiber Consumer

(The average: 0.8 to ~ 3.9 kg/year)

Fiber leaves tangle into hard balls in forestomach and lead to anorexia, iron deficiency microcytic hypochromic anemia with gastric chronic hemorrhage. A dolphin occasionally has these symptoms. The anemia recovered with ferrous sulfate administration (1.0 to ~ 2.0 mg/kg PO BID) within 1 month after the ball was removed.² Another dolphin ingested 1.1-kg ball resulting in secondary bacterial disease through anemia. Necropsy revealed pyloric gastritis, peritonitis, pancreatic necrosis, septicemia and acute endocarditis. Overloaded hydroperitonia and pericardial effusion with bacteria were detected. A 2.5-year-old calf had 0.8-kg balls in the cardia. It led to nutritional disorder even though he was receiving breast milk. Necropsy revealed biliary obstruction, hyperbilirubinemia, pancreatic necrosis, and multiple organ failure. Additionally, hyperbilirubinemia triggered renal injury and cerebral edema.

This class should be checked through gastric, feces and blood. Gastric and feces are stained blackish due to gastric chronic hemorrhage. RBCs are detected by gastric cytology.⁴ Blood shows iron deficiency microcytic hypochromic anemia precisely.

Class 3: Minimal Leaf Consumer

(The average: ~ 1.0 kg/year)

The dolphin ingested few leaves or regurgitated. Some parts of our prevention should succeed. Fortunately, two of heavy consumers tend to shift into this class.

Each class has specific signs. For the heavy consumer, periodically removing leaves treatment is recommended.^5-7 If the emergency signs such as brownish gastric oil or smell from the mouth or breath, the treatment should be done earlier. For the fibrous leaf consumer, gastric and feces with gastric hemorrhage which lead to anemia are remarkable findings.⁴ The accurate diagnosis depending on the dolphins' ingested tendency should be done for early treatment.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Dr. Takehito Morita of Joint Department of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Pathogenetic Veterinary Science, Dr. Minoru Okamoto of Department of Veterinary Immunopathology, School of Veterinary Medicine of Rakuno Gakuen University. In addition, the author thanks Dolphins Pacific staff who cooperated to fix this report.

* Presenting author

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