PROPOSED SIMPLE METHOD FOR ELECTROCARDIOGRAM RECORDING IN FREE-RANGING ASIAN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS)

Abstract

Electrocardiography represents a relevant diagnostic tool for detecting cardiac disease in animals. Elephants can present various congenital and acquired cardiovascular diseases. However, few electrophysiologic studies have been reported in captive elephants, mainly due to challenging technical difficulties in obtaining good-quality electrocardiogram (ECG) tracings, and no data are currently available for free-ranging Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). The purpose of this pilot prospective study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a simple method for recording ECG tracings in wild, apparently healthy, unsedated Asian elephants (n = 7) in the standing position. Successful six-lead recordings (I, II, III, aVR, aVL, and aVF) were obtained, with the aVL lead providing the best-quality tracings in most animals. Variables measured in the aVL lead included heart rate, amplitudes and duration of the P waves, QRS complexes, T and U waves, and duration of the PR, QT, and QU intervals. A negative deflection following positive P waves, representative of an atrial repolarization wave (Ta wave), was observed for five out of the seven elephants.

Measurement of the QT Interval: Lessons from Thirty-Two Animal Species for the Correction of the QT Interval by Heart Rate

“…They include wild animals such as brown bears from either a sanctuary or caught in the wild [14,15], lions and tigers [16,17]. They include large animals such as Asian elephant [18][19][20][21] and small animals such as guinea pigs [22,23]. Some animals are not readily available for study such as rhinoceros [24] and grizzly bears [25] because of the difficulty in capturing them for study.…”

Comparative electrocardiographic study of the Asian freshwater box turtle Cuora flavomarginata and the Asian yellow pond turtle Mauremys mutica using non‐invasive methods

“…This technique has been used and reported in many different ‘exotic’ species. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 Due to the scant information on ECG references, it is rarely performed in turtles and tortoises. The MEA is the average of all the instantaneous mean electrical vectors that occur sequentially during depolarisation of the ventricles.…”

“…Electrocardiography is a useful diagnostic tool for heart diseases. This technique has been used and reported in many different ‘exotic’ species 12–19 . Due to the scant information on ECG references, it is rarely performed in turtles and tortoises.…”

Emotion estimation using a wearable heart rate monitoring device in Asian elephants (<i>Elephas maximus</i>) during veterinary clinical procedures

“…Thus, this study revealed that an elephant's emotional state might be estimated by its heart rate and the heart rate measurement ratio change. In the past, an elephant's heart rate was recorded using electrocardiograms [2,3]. This study showed several advantages to alternatively using wearable heart rate measurement devices.…”