Abstract:

Blood parameter data from pregnant Navy dolphins were synthesized for a case-control study comparing successful versus failed pregnancy outcomes. The following table includes a limited set of blood parameter data collected between 1984-2016 from pregnant Navy dolphins that were selected as either a case or a control. Both cases and controls were limited to confirmed pregnancies with associated blood data and archived serum samples. A control (successful outcome) was defined as an apparently healthy pregnant common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) that carried a calf to full term, delivered the calf with no complications and the calf survived greater than 3 months. Health status was determined by the attending clinician’s evaluation of the animal’s clinical presentation, physical examination, and interpretation of blood work. Cases (failed outcomes) were those in which the dam was reported to have a pregnancy that resulted in a stillborn calf, a spontaneous abortion, or early fetal loss. Samples were also included for dams that gave birth to live calves if the calf lived fewer than 24 hours. For pregnancies that were not full-term, parturition start dates were determined using estimated age of fetus according to histopathology reports. Samples from both cases and controls were limited to blood dates in which there were at least 1 ml of archived serum. Serum samples were selected from failed pregnancies in which there were also histopathology results and archived tissue samples for the expired calf/fetus.

Suggested Citation:

Smith, Cynthia R. and Venn-Watson, Stephanie. 2018. 2016 U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) reproductive health data. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7TH8K3F

Purpose:

To develop innovative methodologies to further investigate wild dolphin fetal and maternal health.

Data Parameters and Units:

Animal ID number (Dam), Age (years), Sex (M/F), Pregnancy number (PregNo), Trimester (1-3), Pregnancy start date (PregStartDate, MM/DD/YYYY), Parturition date (MM/DD/YYYY), Death date (GoneDate, MM/DD/YYYY), Pregnancy outcome (healthy or failed), Abbreviated lab name (LabAbbrev), Date blood was drawn (BloodDate, MM/DD/YYYY), Time blood was drawn (BloodTime, HH:MM), Reason (Routine, Initial, or Followup), Fasting (True or False), Comments, Relaxin (ng/ml), White blood cell count (WBC, 1000/ul), Red blood cell count (RBC, 1000/ul), Hemoglobin (HGB, g/dL), Hematocrit (HCT, %), Mean corpuscular volume (MCV, fL), Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH, pg), Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC, g/dL), Red blood cell distribution width (RBCDist, %), Nucleated red blood cells (NRBC, /100 cell count), Reticulocyte (%), Platelet count (1000/ul), Mean platelet volume (MPV, fL), Segmented neutrophils (SEGS, %), Absolute count for lymphocytes (ACNeutrophils, 1000/ul), Banded neutrophils (BANDS, %), Lymphocytes (Lymphs, %), Absolute count for lymphocytes (ACLymphocytes, 1000/ul), Monocytes (%), Absolute count for monocytes (ACMonocytes, 1000/ul), Eosinophils (EOS, %), Absolute count for eosinophils (ACEosinophils, 1000/ul), Basophils (%), Absolute count for basophils (ACBasophils, 1000/ul), Metamyelocytes (%), Glucose (mg/dL), Blood urea nitrogen (BUN, mg/dL), Creatinine (mg/dL), BUN to creatinine ratio (BUNCreatinine), Uric acid (mg/dL), Sodium (mmol/L), Potassium (mmol/L), Chloride (mmol/L), CO2 (mmol/L), Total protein (g/dL), Albumin (g/dL), Globulins (g/dL), Albumin to Globulins ratio (AGRatio), Calcium (mg/dL), Inorganic phosphate (InorgPhos, mg/dL), Alkaline phosphatase (AlkPhos, IU/L), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, IU/L), Aspertate aminotransferase (AST, IU/L), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT, IU/L), Glutamyl transferase (GGT, IU/L), Total Bilirubin (mg/dL), Cholesterol (mg/dL), High-density lipoprotein (HDL, mg/dL), Low-density lipoprotein (LDL, mg/dL), Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL, mg/dL), Triglyceride (mg/dL), Total iron (ug/dL), Creatinine phosphokinase (CPK, IU/L), 60 minute erythrocyte sedimentation rate (SED60, minutes), Magnesium (Mg, gmg/dL), Anion gap (Gap, mmol/L), Glomerular filtration rate (GFR, mL/min/2.78 m^2)

Methods:

Blood parameter data from pregnant Navy dolphins were synthesized for a case-control study comparing successful versus failed pregnancy outcomes. The following table includes a limited set of blood parameter data collected between 1984-2016 from pregnant Navy dolphins that were selected as either a case or a control. Both cases and controls were limited to confirmed pregnancies with associated blood data and archived serum samples. A control (successful outcome) was defined as an apparently healthy pregnant common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) that carried a calf to full term, delivered the calf with no complications and the calf survived greater than 3 months. Health status was determined by the attending clinician’s evaluation of the animal’s clinical presentation, physical examination, and interpretation of blood work. Cases (failed outcomes) were those in which the dam was reported to have a pregnancy that resulted in a stillborn calf, a spontaneous abortion, or early fetal loss. Samples were also included for dams that gave birth to live calves if the calf lived fewer than 24 hours. For pregnancies that were not full-term, parturition start dates were determined using estimated age of fetus according to histopathology reports. Samples from both cases and controls were limited to blood dates in which there were at least 1 ml of archived serum. Serum samples were selected from failed pregnancies in which there were also histopathology results and archived tissue samples for the expired calf/fetus. Fasting animals were generally bled prior to their morning feeding, which was generally about 15 hours since their prior day's afternoon feeding.

Individual Files: