Ultrasonographic assessment of the thyroid gland and adjacent anatomic structures in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus).

Objective: To evaluate the use of ultrasonography for thyroid gland assessment in healthy Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus), describe the ultrasonographic appearance of the thyroid gland and adjacent anatomic structures, and identify potential associations between variations in thyroid gland morphology and demographic features in this species.

Animals: 18 captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.

Procedures: 1,404 ultrasonographic examinations of the thyroid gland and adjacent anatomic structures (eg, cervical lymph nodes, musculature, and vasculature) were performed during the > 3-year study period.

Sonographic evaluation of thyroid morphology during the normal estrous cycle in the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus).

Physiologic changes occurring in the thyroid in response to the estrous cycle have been noted in companion animals. However, in bottlenose dolphins, the influence of different reproductive states on thyroid morphology remains unclear. Sonography was used to evaluate the variations of thyroid morphology for nine consecutive estrous cycles of four sexually mature, female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus).

Evaluation of two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound in the assessment of thyroid volume of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus).

The assessment of thyroid volume plays an indispensable role in the diagnosis and management of different thyroid diseases. The present study evaluates the accuracy of dolphin thyroid volume measurement as determined by four two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound methods (A-D), with a standard of reference using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. The measurement accuracy for different recognized thyroid configuration is also evaluated.

A comparison of portable ultrasound and fully-equipped clinical ultrasound unit in the thyroid size measurement of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin.

Measurement of thyroid size and volume is a useful clinical parameter in both human and veterinary medicine, particularly for diagnosing thyroid diseases and guiding corrective therapy. Procuring a fully-equipped clinical ultrasound unit (FCUS) may be difficult in most veterinary settings. The present study evaluated the inter-equipment variability in dolphin thyroid ultrasound measurements between a portable ultrasound unit (PUS) and a FCUS; for both units, repeatability was also assessed.

Reliability of 2D ultrasound measurements of testis size in dolphins taken under voluntary behavior.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the reliability of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound in measuring testis size in dolphins, in vivo, with the subject presenting for examination under voluntary or trained behaviour. The testes of five bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) were measured once by two operators to test inter-operator variability (reproducibility) and repeatedly measured by the same operator to test intra-operator variability (repeatability). Ultrasound examinations for each test were conducted on the same day to avoid measurement variability due to time difference.

Semen collection and ejaculate characteristics in the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus).

The testes of sexually mature dolphins produce large quantities of sperm. Sperm are expelled in copious amounts of seminal fluid through repeated ejaculations that can occur within a short period of time. There is currently a lack of detail about the methodology of sequential ejaculate collection in dolphins and how the traits of individual ejaculates affect the assessment of reproductive capacity.