Neonatal evaluation of dromedary camel calves at birth: preliminary observations

The transition from the intrauterine to the extrauterine environment represents a critical phase in the newbornlife, as many maturation and adaptation/adaptive processes have to take place. Caring for newborn is particularly challenging in veterinary medicine, where species-related differences require specific knowledges; the employment of a routine evaluation method immediately after birth is hence fundamental to detect any developmental abnormalities or maladjustment to extrauterine life, and to promptly identify newborns requiring for medical intervention. To date, very few information are available regarding the physiological features of the newborn dromedary calf at birth (1); therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe the main physiological parameters in healthy dromedary newborn calves immediately after birth. Ten healthy dromedary calves born at term after a normal gestation and spontaneous calvings were enrolled. Parturitions were monitored in order to detect any alteration during birth process and the following parameters were evaluated for each newborn at birth: gender, weight (Kg), rectal temperature (°C), presence of erupted teeth, attachment of the epidermal membrane, heart rate per minute (BPM), respiration rate per minute (RPM), mucous membrane colour (eye and mouth), ear irritability reflex (lateral and bilateral), body muscle tone, suckling reflex (SR), time of head shaking (THS, min), time to raise neck (TRN, min), time to sternal recumbency (TSR, min), and time to first vocalizations (TFV, min). Among the 10 newborns, 6 were males and 4 were females. Median (min-max) values for each parameter were calculated as follow. Weight: 42 Kg (36.4-47.4); rectal temperature: 37°C (36.6-37.6); BPM: 121 (86-160); RPM: 32 (24-36); THS: 2 min (1-12); TRN: 3 min (2-14); TSR: 10 min (4-19); TFV: 14 min (4-36). Teeth were not erupted in 7/10 newborns, and epidermal membrane was attached in 3/10 newborns. Eye mucous membranes were for 20% cases pink, 40% reddish, and 40% pigmented; mouth mucous membranes were 40% pink, 10% reddish, and 50% pigmented. Lateral and bilateral ear irritability reflex were 100% vigorous, body muscle tone was with some movements in 40% and active/sternal in 60% cases, while SR was weak in 40% newborns and vigorous in 60% newborns. These preliminary observations may be implemented in order to establish normal ranges for the main physiological parameters in the newborn dromedary calf at birth.