Hypervitaminosis D was diagnosed in a giant anteater () and a large hairy armadillo () being fed a commercial insectivore diet. Clinical findings included weight loss, reduced appetite, vomiting, and suspected abdominal discomfort. Hypercalcemia (3.68 and 2.04 mmol/L total and ionized calcium, respectively) was detected in the anteater, and plasma 25(OH)D levels were measured and found to be 808.7 and 379.4 nmol/L for the anteater and armadillo, respectively. Dietary change resulted in a reduction of 25(OH)D levels in both animals and resolution of hypercalcemia in the giant anteater. Dietary analysis of the commercial insectivore food revealed levels of vitamin D higher than the data-sheet values. This case report demonstrates that hypervitaminosis D in Xenarthra can be associated with significant clinical signs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1638/2019-0042 | DOI Listing |
Ann Anat
December 2024
University of Bari Aldo Moro, Veterinary Clinics and Animal Production Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area, Bari, Puglia, Italy.
Background: The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a toothless mammal that feeds mainly on termites and ants. Therefore, like other toothless mammals, this species has morphological and physiological adaptations of the salivary glands related to eating habits. Saliva is essential for the health of the oral cavity, chewing and lubrication of the mouth and it is constituted by an aqueous fluid containing electrolytes, enzymes, and glycoproteins which play an important role in modulating the oral microbiota.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Trop
December 2024
Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Department of Pathology, Reproduction, and One Health, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal Campus, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Rural Zone, Jaboticabal, SP, CEP: 14884-900, Brazil. Electronic address:
Vet Res Commun
November 2024
Department of Veterinary Clinics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a vulnerable species that is threatened mostly due to anthropogenic pressure. The anteater is a highly specialized insectivore, challenging the species' ex situ maintenance and conservation efforts. Several dietary-associated health issues have been reported in captive anteaters, including heart conditions such as dilated cardiomyopathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZoo Biol
December 2024
Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz-UESC, Ilhéus, BA, Brazil.
It has been suggested repeatedly that zoo-kept giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) have higher body masses than their free-ranging conspecifics. Here, we assess this hypothesis by comparing body mass data of 184 female and 173 male individuals kept in zoos to published and unpublished data of free-ranging animals (n = 215). In zoos, the average adult body mass of all individuals was 45.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeerJ
August 2024
Department of Paleontology, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Nutrient foramina are small openings in the periosteal surface of the mid-shaft region of long bones that traverse the cortical layer and reach the medullary cavity. They are important for the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to bone tissue and are crucial for the repair and remodeling of bones over time. The nutrient foramina in the femur's diaphysis are related to the energetic needs of the femur and have been shown to be related to the maximum metabolic rate (MMR) of taxa.
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