Advancing wildlife management: Pioneering non-invasive Urinalysis protocol for captive ungulates in Pakistan.

Ungulates held in captivity often face challenges in their health and well-being due to the constraints of their artificial environments. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as blood sampling, can induce stress and discomfort in these animals, potentially affecting the accuracy of results and overall welfare. This study explores the protocol establishment of urinalysis as a stress-free alternative diagnostic technique for assessing health and stress levels in captive ungulates. Ethical considerations were followed throughout the study as samples of captive animals, including Zebra, Mouflon, Punjab Urial, and cattle, were collected from Lahore Zoological Garden, Lahore Safari, and Jallo Forest and Wildlife Park. Urinalysis utilized non-invasive techniques to determine the urinary standard values in ungulates, including the urinary proteins. Results indicated that urinalysis provided reliable indicators of health and stress levels in captive ungulates without causing additional stress. The reference standards for urine proteins, specific gravity, creatinine, and urine protein to creatinine ratios have been provided as 13.39 mg/dL,1.009, 57.89 mg/dL, and 0.23. Bradford Assay revealed a concentration of proteins in cattle, Punjab Urial, Mouflons, and zebra with a mean value of 58.56 µg/ml, 40.81 µg/ml, 48.39 µg/ml, and 40.34 µg/ml, respectively. It has been hypothesized that the presence of these concentrations of proteins in captive animals might be responsible for renal dysfunction. Furthermore, urinalysis may be an effective instrument for assessing renal activity and alterations in physiological conditions in ungulates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Wildlife & Biodiversity (JWB) is the property of Arak University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)