Year 2016 - Volume 36, Number 6


Title
Electrocardiographic exam in female spotted pacas (Cuniculus paca), 36(6):559-563
Authors

Abstract
ABSTRACT.- Uscategui R.A.R., Almeida V.T., Kawanami A.E., Restan W.A.Z., Barros F.F.P.C., Feliciano M.A.R., Machado M.R.F. & Vicente W.R.R. 2016. Electrocardiographic exam in female spotted pacas (Cuniculus paca). Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 36(6):559-563. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, SP 14884-900, Brazil. E-mail: marcusfeliciano@yahoo.com.br

Considering the limited physiological information available on neotropical rodents and the importance of this information for pathophysiological and conservation studies of these species, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiac electric physiology of healthy captivity spotted pacas (Cuniculus paca) under chemical restraint, due to wild nature of these animals. Eleven adult female pacas were evaluated by blood count and biochemical dosage to rule out any associate disease. Each animal was evaluated in three periods every 15 days. After chemical restraint with intramuscular midazolam 0.5mg/kg and ketamine 25mg/kg, animals were subjected to a computerized electrocardiogram, where bipolar (DI, DII and DIII) and augmented unipolar leads (aVR, aVL, aVF) were obtained. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each parameter and built the confidence interval (CI) at significance level of 95%. The electrocardiographic examination was performed without difficult. ECG tracing in DII represents a QRS complex with positive polarity, preceded by a P wave of the same polarity and proceeded by T wave of variable polarity. Heart rate mean was 150±17 bpm, and cardiac electrical axis 33.4±21.9°. All animals showed sinusal rhythm. The ECG recording technique associated with chemical restraint was well tolerated, allowing quick acquisition of reliable ECG tracings with high repeatability, which produced sufficient results to determine the heart rhythm and suggest measures of ECG complexes duration and amplitude.
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Colégio Brasileiro de Patologia Animal CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior ISI Web of Knowledge SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online Banco de Dados Bibliográficos da USP UnB - Universidade de Brasília UFRRJ - Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro CFMV - Conselho Federal de Medicina Veterinária