Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T14:35:49.777Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Water intake and excretion, urinary solute excretion and some stress indicators in mink (Mustela vison): 1. Effect of ambient temperature and quantitative water supply to adult males

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

A.-H. Tauson
A.-H. Tauson*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Funbo Lövsta Research Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-755 97 Uppsala, Sweden
Get access

Abstract

Thermal environment and water supply are factors which are supposed to influence the performance and well being of farm-raised mink but conclusive literature data are still very limited. The present series of experiments was conducted in order to quantify effects of thermal environment on water intake and excretion, urinary solute excretion and estimate possible stress reactions. Water intake and excretion, urinary osmolality and urinary excretion of sodium (Na), potassium (K), cortisol and catecholamines were studied in a balanced Latin-square design experiment with six adult male mink, kept at three different ambient temperatures (Ta); (5°C, 20 °C and close to 35 °C) and given three different water supplies (E: extra water in the food; N: normal ad libitum drinking water supply; R: restricted, free access to drinking water twice daily). The experiment comprised nine periods, each of 3 days. Food apparent digestibility, intake of metabolizable energy (ME), metabolic and evaporative water, oxidation of nutrients and ME requirement for maintenance (MEm) were calculated. Water intake was strongly affected by Ta, with dietary water being the major source at 5°C and 20 °C, its importance being profoundly exceeded by drinking water at 35 °C. Water excretion in urine was highest at the lowest Ta and lowest at the highest Ta. Restriction of access to drinking water resulted in lower total water intake, and excretion, mainly by decreased urinary volume, reflected by increased urinary osmolality and increased solute concentration. ME intake decreased as Ta increased but urinary and total water output per kJ ME was not significantly affected by Ta or water supply. Excretion of Na and К per kJ ME mainly monitored urinary water excretion, being highest under conditions when urine production was highest. Metabolic water made up 0·14 to 0·17 of the total water intake and evaporative loss increased from about 50 to 125 g/kg live weight (M)0·75 as Ta increased. MEm was lowest (534 kJ/kg M0·75) at 20 °C, and highest (647 kJ/kg M0·75) at 35 °C. Cortisol excretion generally tended to increase when water supply was restricted, the increase being significant at 35 °C. This, in combination with outer signs of distress in the animals, emphasized that this high temperature in combination with limited access to drinking water exposed the animals to a very stressful situation but rectal temperature remained normal, indicating intact temperature regulation mechanisms.

Keywords

catecholamineselectrolytesenvironmental temperaturehydrocortisoneurinewater balance
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 69 , Issue 1 , August 1999 , pp. 171 - 181
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

†

Present address: Department of Animal Science and Animal Health, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Bülowsvej 13, DK-l870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.

References

Amtsblatt der Europäischen Gemeinschaften. 1971. Official journal of the European Communities, no. 17, L279, p. 995.Google Scholar
Berg, H., Valtonen, M., Tang, L. and Eriksson, L. 1984. Protein digestibility and water and nitrogen balance studies with mink at different protein levels. Proceedings of the third international scientific congress in fur animal production, communication no. 9, pp. 1–7. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique et Institute Technique de l’Aviculture, Paris.Google Scholar
Black, J. L., Campbell, R. G., Williams, I. H., James, K. J. and Davies, G. T. 1986. Simulation of energy and amino acid utilisation in the pig. Research and Development in Agriculture 3: 121–145.Google Scholar
Chwalibog, A., Glem-Hansen, N., Henckel, S. and Thorbek, G. 1980. Energy metabolism in adult mink in relation to protein-energy levels and environmental temperature. Proceedings of the eighth symposium on energy metabolism (ed. Mount, L. E.). European Association for Animal Production publication no. 26, pp. 283–286. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Eriksson, L., Valtonen, M. and Mäkelä, J. 1984. Water and electrolyte balance in male mink (Mustela vison) on varying dietary NaCl intake. Acta Physiologia Scandinavica, Supplementum 537: 59–64.Google ScholarPubMed
Farrell, D. J. and Wood, A. J. 1968. The nutrition of the female mink. III. The water requirement for maintenance. Canadian Journal of Zoology 46: 53–56.10.1139/z68-010CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaskell, C. J. 1989. The role of fluid in the feline urological syndrome. In Nutrition of the dog and cat. Waltham symposium no. 7 (ed. Burger, H. and Rivers, J. P. W.), pp. 353–356. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Hansen, M. 1974. Ny og bedre metode til påvisning af plasmacytose. Dansk Pelsdyravl 37: 209–211.Google Scholar
Hansen, N. E., Finne, L., Skrede, A. and Tauson, A.-H. 1991. Energiforsyningen hos mink og rev. NJFs utredning/ rapport no. 63, pp. 1–59. DSR Forlag, Landbohøjskolen, Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Houpt, T. R. 1993. Water and electrolytes. In Dukes’ physiology of domestic animals, 11th edition (ed. M. J. Swenson and Reece, W. O.), pp. 9–21. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.Google Scholar
Ingram, D. L. 1974. Heat loss and its control in pigs. In Heat loss from animals and man (ed. Monteith, J. L. and Mount, L. E.), pp. 233–254. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Jørgensen, G. and Glem-Hansen, N. 1973. A cage designed for metabolism and nitrogen balance trials with mink. Acta Agriculturæ Scandinavica 23: 3–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juokslahti, T. 1987. Vitamins in the nutrition of fur bearing animals, pp. 1–70. Roche A/S, Basle.Google Scholar
Korhonen, H., Harri, M. and Asikainen, J. 1983. Thermoregulation of polecat and racoon dog: a comparative study with stoat, mink and blue fox. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 74A: 225–230.Google Scholar
Madej, A., Forsberg, M. and Edqvist, L.-E. 1992. Urinary excretion of cortisol and oestrone sulfate in pregnant mink females fed PCB and fractions of PCB. Ambio 21: 582–585.Google Scholar
Maksimov, A. P. 1973. A rational regimen of watering for mink. Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews 44: 296 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Neil, M. 1986. Feed-related factors affecting water turnover in mink. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research 16: 81–88.Google Scholar
Neil, M. 1987. Ar kolhydraternas smältbarhet beroende av inblandningsnivån? Proceedings of the NJF-seminar. Scandinavian Association of Agricultural Scientists, Tromsø, Norway, no. 128, pp. 1–9. Norges Pelsdyralslag, Oslo.Google Scholar
Neil, M. 1988. Effects of dietary energetic composition and water content on water turnover in mink. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research 18: 135–140.Google Scholar
Nes, N., Einarsson, E. J. and Lohi, O. 1987. Beautiful fur animals — and their colour genetics. Scientifur, Hillerød.Google Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1985. SAS user’s guide: statistics, version fifth edition. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H. 1996. Pattern of protein oxidation during gestation in mink. In Protein metabolism and nutrition. Proceedings of the seventh international symposium on protein metabolism and nutrition (ed. Nunes, A. F., Portugal, A. V., Costa, J. P. and Ribeiro, J. R.). EAAP publication no. 81, p. 407. Estacio Zootecnica Nacional, Vale de Santarem.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H., Elnif, J. and Hansen, N. E. 1994. Energy metabolism and nutrient oxidation in the pregnant mink (Mustela vison) as a model for other carnivores. Journal of Nutrition 124: 2609S–2613S.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tauson, A.-H., Elnif, J. and Wamberg, S. 1997. Nitrogen balance in adult female mink (Mustela vison) in response to normal feeding and short-term fasting. British Journal of Nutrition 78: 83–96.Google ScholarPubMed
Tauson, A.-H., Chwalibog, A., Ludvigsen, J., Jakobsen, K. and Thorbek, G. 1998a. Effect of short-term exposure to high ambient temperatures on gas exchange and heat production in boars of different breeds. Animal Science 66: 431–440.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H., Sørensen, H. J., Wamberg, S. and Chwalibog, A. 1998b. Energy metabolism, nutrient oxidation and water turnover in the lactating mink (Mustela vison). Proceedings of Waltham symposium on pet nutrition and health in the 21st century. Journal of Nutrition 128: 2615S–2617S.Google Scholar
Valtonen, M., Mäkelä, J. and Eriksson, L. 1982. Njurens koncentrationsförmåga hos friska och plasmacytotiska minkar. Proceedings of the 4th Nordic veterinary congress, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 372–373.Google Scholar
Wamberg, S. 1994. Rates of heat and water loss in female mink (Mustela vison) measured by direct calorimetry. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 107A: 451–458.Google Scholar
Wamberg, S., Tauson, A.-H. and Elnif, J. 1996. Effects of feeding and short-term fasting on water and electrolyte turnover in female mink (Mustela vison) . British Journal of Nutrition 76: 711–725.Google Scholar
Wustenberg, W. and Wustenberg, M. 1988. Reducing heat stress in mink production units: basic principles of environmental control. In Biology, pathology and genetics of fur bearing animals. Proceedings of the fourth international scientific congress in fur animal production (ed. Murphy, B. D. and Hunter, D. B.), pp. 130–135. International Fur Animal Science Association, Toronto.Google Scholar