Inguinal hernia causes mortality in an adult American black bear (original) (raw)
Related papers
Veterinary issues related to bears (Ursidae)
International Zoo Yearbook, 2010
A wide variety of infectious and non-infectious diseases has been described in bears. Some viral (e.g. canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis), bacterial (e.g. salmon poisoning) and parasitic diseases (particularly skin mites and ascarid infections) are of concern. Noninfectious conditions, such as dental disease, degenerative joint disease and neoplasia, are very important in the management of captive bears. Appropriate anaesthesia is essential in both veterinary and biological interventions with bears.
Lumbar Hernia: An Unusual Presentation of Bear Maul
Typical lumbar hernias are very rare surgical conditions. Lumbar hernias can be congenital or acquired. About 25% of all lumbar hernias have a traumatic etiology. Case-Report: We here reported a case of a 55-year-old male who was mauled by a bear. The patient developed an atypical lumbar hernia after 6 months of sustaining craniofacial and abdominal trauma. Open hernioplasty, which was a very challenging job, was done in this patient. Conclusion: Post traumatic lumbar hernias have been reported but till today no case of lumbar hernia following an attack by a bear has been reported in literature. Both acute and long-standing post-traumatic lumbar hernias are rare but challenging conditions. The corrective surgical procedure becomes more complex as hernial defect enlarges. Reconstruction is a challenging aspect of lumbar hernia surgery.
Veterinary Record, 2011
Nine adult Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) previously rescued from illegal bile farming in Vietnam were examined via abdominal ultrasound and exploratory laparoscopy for liver and gall bladder pathology. Three bears demonstrated notable gall bladder pathology, and minimally invasive cholecystectomies were performed using an open laparoscopic access approach, standard 10 to 12 mmHg carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum and a four-port technique. A single bear required insertion of an additional 5 mm port and use of a flexible liver retractor due to the presence of extensive adhesions between the gall bladder and quadrate and left and right medial liver lobes. The cystic duct was dissected free and this and the cystic artery were ligated by means of extracorporeal tied Meltzer knot sutures. The gall bladder was dissected free of the liver by blunt and sharp dissection, aided by 3.8 MHz monopolar radiosurgery. Bears that have had open abdominal cholecystectomies are reported as taking four to six weeks before a return to normal activity postoperatively. In contrast, these bears demonstrated rapid unremarkable healing, and were allowed unrestricted access to outside enclosures to climb trees, swim and interact normally with other bears within seven days of surgery.
Metabolic derangements and reduced survival of bile-extracted Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus)
BMC Veterinary Research
Background: Across China and Southeast Asia, an estimated 17,000 bears are currently farmed for bile, primarily for traditional medicines. Depending on country, bile is extracted daily via transabdominal gallbladder fistulas, indwelling catheters, or needle aspiration. Despite claims that bears do not develop adverse effects from bile extraction, health issues identified in bears removed from bile farms include bile-extraction site infections, abdominal hernias, peritonitis, cholecystitis, hepatic neoplasia, cardiac disease, skeletal abnormalities, and abnormal behaviors. We present a comprehensive assessment of the effects of bile farming by comparing serum biochemical and hematological values of bears from farms that were bile-extracted (BE) and bears from farms not bile-extracted (FNE) with bears from non-farm captive (ZOO) and free-range (FR) environments. We hypothesized BE bears would have significant laboratory abnormalities compared to all non-extracted bear groups. We also hypothesized BE bears would have reduced long-term survival compared to FNE bears despite removal from farms. Results: BE bears exhibited the highest values and greatest variation (on a population level) in laboratory parameters compared to all non-extracted bear groups particularly for alanine transaminase, gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), total bilirubin (TBIL), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine (CREA), and total white blood cell count. Significant differences were detected between bear groups when accounting for season, sex, and/or age. BE bears exhibited greater mean serum GGT compared to all non-extracted bear groups, and the odds of having elevated TBIL were 7.3 times greater for BE bears, consistent with hepatobiliary disease. Biochemical parameter elevations in BE bears persisted up to 14 years post-rescue, consistent with long-term effects of bile-extraction. BE bears that arrived with elevated CREA and ALKP had median survival times of 1 and 4 years respectively, and regardless of laboratory abnormalities, BE bears had significantly shorter survival times compared to FNE bears. Conclusions: Our results provide strong evidence that bile extraction practices not only represent a temporary constraint for bears' welfare, but confer distinct long-term adverse health consequences. Routine laboratory panels may be insensitive to detect the extent of underlying illness in BE bears as these bears have significantly reduced survival regardless of biochemical assessment compared to FNE bears.
2018
for reviewing this document. This document was requested, reviewed, and endorsed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). Significant portions of this document were drawn with permission from the North East Black Bear Technical Committee's 2012 document, An Evaluation of Black Bear Management Options (Hurst et al. 2012), which in turn drew upon several state and provincial black bear management plans across North America. We express our gratitude to all fellow bear managers in North America for their willingness to share this valuable information.
PHYSIOLOGIC RESPONSES OF GRIZZLY BEARS TO DIFFERENT METHODS OF CAPTURE
2003
The physiologic effects of two methods of capture, chemical immobilization of free- ranging (FR) bears by remote injection from a helicopter and physical restraint (PR) by leg-hold snare prior to chemical immobilization, were compared in 46 grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) handled during 90 captures between 1999 and 2001. Induction dosages and times were greater for FR bears than PR bears,