Observations on the Clinical Examination of the Camel (Camelus dromedarius) in the Field

Abstract

Camels usually inhabit remote areas, where diagnostic facilities and laboratories are very scarce. The species differences between the camel and other domestic animals necessitate some specific examination techniques. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical examination methods and sources of common errors that require special consideration in the camel. Young camels are examined in the standing position, while adults require restraint. Restraining procedures, both standing and in sternal recumbency, are described. New equipment and a crush were designed. The body temperature of the camels examined fluctuated from 35.7 to 38.9 degrees C, being lowest in the morning and highest in the afternoon; high temperature in the morning is indicative of fever, while high afternoon temperatures could be hyperthermia. It was difficult to take the pulse rate for routine procedures. The heart rate ranged from 35 to 50 per min; there was no difference between the heart rate in the morning and in the afternoon. The mean respiratory rate was 11 per min and respiration was of thoracol-lumbar type. The mucous membranes of the eye were an important site for appreciating signs of discoloration, while those of the mouth, rectum and vagina were unsuitable. The left flank was the best site for determining the rate of rumen contractions, which was 3+/-1.2 every 5 min, as determined by auscultation; counting the contractions by the application of the fist was difficult. The palpable external lymph nodes were the parotid, maxillary, prescapular, inferior cervical, thoracic, cubital, ilial and popiteal; they are large and can be seen on inspection in healthy animals, so that was not indicative of disease. A list of diagnostic indicators for the rapid diagnosis of ten endemic camel diseases was generated from the empirical signs.

Morphometric, haematological and physio-biochemical characterization of Bactrian (Camelus bactrianus) camel at high altitude

“…Further, this high body temperature could be due to adaptive changes in energy metabolism and hepatic activities under cold and hypobaric hypoxia conditions. Similar observations have also been recorded in earlier reports on camels by Higgins & Kock [13], Tefera [14], and Al-Haidary et al [15]. Higgins and Kock [13] studied the normal clinical parameters in the camel under field conditions and stated that a normal and healthy camel generally has a body temperature between 36 to 37°C during daytime.…”

Internal and external parasites of camels (Camelusdromedarius) slaughtered at Addis Ababa Abattoir, Ethiopia

“…(1998)inJordan,Anwar and Khan (1998) in Pakistan, Dia (2006) in Burkina Faso and Bekele (2010) in Southern Ethiopia also reported a higher prevalence of parasites in camel. This high prevalence of parasites could be related to rearing of camels in marginal areas where veterinary services are not available or very limited (Tefera, 2004). In this study, tick infestation was detected in all (100%) of the examined camels.…”

Sedative and analgesic effects of romifidine in camels (Camelus dromedarius)

“…Heart and respiratory rates were assessed by clinical methods. Ruminal contraction was assessed by auscultation (Tefera 2004). Muscle relaxation was assessed via measurement of the height of the lower lip from the floor and the distance between the ear tips.…”