Influence of type of enclosure on exercise fitness of dogs.
The effect of various confinement conditions on physical fitness in dogs was evaluated. Eighteen 9.5- to 10-month-old female purpose-bred Beagles were maintained individually for 3 months at a time in 1 of 6 confinement conditions: Condition A--an outdoor housing area with a conventional dog house and free access to a 6.1 x 9.1-m pen; condition B--outdoor kennel with a conventional dog house and free access to a 1.8 x 6.1-m run; condition C--indoor environmentally controlled 1.2 x 3.66-m run; condition D-0.9 x 1.2 x 0.84-m conventional laboratory cage in an indoor environmentally controlled room; condition E--0.9 x 1.2 x 0.84-m conventional laboratory cage in an indoor environmentally controlled room with treadmill exercise (7 km/h at a 10% grade) for 30 min/d, 5 d/wk; condition F--0.71 x 0.86 x 0.69-m conventional laboratory cage in an indoor environmentally controlled room. During the final week of each 3-month interval, muscle succinate dehydrogenase enzyme activities and submaximal exercise heart rates (during treadmill exercise) were determined to estimate physical fitness. Also, 5 days after being moved into a different housing condition, blood samples were collected for plasma cortisol determination. The type of confinement condition for dogs had little effect on muscle succinate dehydrogenase activity, but had a modest effect on submaximal exercise heart rates of dogs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Clark
J D
JD
Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
Calpin
J P
JP
Armstrong
R B
RB
D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006799:Housing, Animal; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D009132:Muscles / Q000201:enzymology; D010809:Physical Fitness; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis
D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D006854:Hydrocortisone