Determination of the Main Reference Values in Ultrasound Examination of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Clinically Healthy Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Pregnancy and Fetal Development: Cephalic Presentation and Other Descriptive Ultrasonographic Findings from Clinically Healthy Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under Human Care

“…In spite of the advantages provided by ultrasonographic surveys of dolphins, the procedure has some limitations compared to the same examination carried out in species commonly investigated in clinical practice [1,2]:…”

“…A preventative medicine program is one of the key factors in health evaluation for ensuring the welfare of dolphins under human care. Ultrasonography (US) plays an important role in modern-day cetacean preventative medicine because it is a non-invasive technique, it is safe for both patient and operator, and it can be performed routinely using trained responses that enable medical procedures [1,2]. Ultrasound data are vital for monitoring and detecting problems in pregnancies, and while there is a significant amount of data for domestic species [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11], data for marine mammals are scarce [12][13][14].…”

Ultrasonographic findings associated with normal pregnancy and fetal well‐being in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

“…Advances in human perinatology and maternal‐fetal medicine have been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality, and fetomaternal ultrasound is vital in monitoring pregnancy and maximizing neonatal survival . Ultrasound is also a critical component of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) medicine and has been used to evaluate pulmonary, cardiac, reproductive, hepatic, urinary, gastrointestinal, and lymphatic systems . Improved understanding of Tursiops reproduction through routine imaging in managed care has led to advancements in hormone analysis, gonadal evaluation, early fetal monitoring, parturition prediction, and artificial insemination .…”