Blood parameters and hormonal status of sled dogs Siberian husky breed before and after racing

¹ Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Timiryazevskaya str., 49, 127434 Moscow, Russia
² Kaliningrad Research Institute of Agriculture, Branch of the V.R. Williams Federal Research Institute for Fodder Production and Agroecology, Polessky district, Slavyanskoye village, 9, Kaliningrad, Russia
³ Federal Scientific Agro-Engineering Center VIM Institutsky proezd, 5, 109428 Moscow, Russia

^* Corresponding author: kostomakhin@rgau-msha.ru

Abstract

The investigation of the physiological characteristics of sled dogs of Siberian husky breed seems relevant, since dogs of this breed recently play an important role for animal husbandry in the Far North in Russia. Blood samples have been taken before the racing and immediately after it. The study of hormones in the blood of Siberian husky sled dogs before and after the racing showed that the testosterone level dropped sharply after the racing by 7.6 times, which can be explained by the significant energy consumption of the dog's body during the racing. At the same time, cortisol as a hormone that protects the body from stress, regulates blood pressure, participates in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, has significantly increased by 3.6 times (P<0.05), which indicated the activation of the body's protective systems during the period of exposure to stress. The content of estradiol had not undergone significant changes. The exertion affected the content of red blood cells their decrease occurred (by 7.3%), a similar dynamics in hemoglobin level was observed. It was found as the result of biochemical blood tests that the creatinine level after racing increased by 4.6 mmol/l. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase decreased by 31.5 and 30.8 units/l, respectively. The content of lactate dehydrogenase increased by 31.3 units/l. The level glucose in the blood of sled dogs after racing decreased from 5.0 to 4.5 mmol/l, which was quite understandable by the significant energy consumption of dogs during the racing. The decrease in the content of total protein and its albumin fraction during the racing by 6.0 and 2.5 g/l, respectively was found. Moreover, the decrease in albumin level was statistically significant at P<0.05. As the result of the racing the level of creatine phosphokinase increased by 24.3 units /l, and the content of triglycerides decreased by 0.12 mmol/l.