The Schirmer tear test (STT) I was performed to evaluate tear production in 12 captive Nubian ibex (Capra ibex nubiana), 10 captive Burchell's zebras (Equus burchelli) and five Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) at the Tel-Aviv Ramat-Gan Zoological Center (Israel). Mean (±standard deviation) STT values were 13.2 ± 5.1 mm/min in the ibex, 23.4 ± 3.4 mm/ min in the zebra and 12.7 ± 4.8 mm/min in the oryx. There were no significant effects of gender, age, weight, or side of the eye. There were no significant differences in STT values between ibex and oryx, but tear production in both species was significantly lower than in zebras. Knowledge of normal tear production values is important for the differential diagnosis of conjunctivitis and keratitis in these species.
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1 January 1999
Tear Production in Three Captive Wild Herbivores in Israel
R. Ofri,
I. Horowitz,
P. H. Kass
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 35 • No. 1
January 1999
Vol. 35 • No. 1
January 1999
Arabian oryx
Burchell's zebra
Capra ibex nubiana
Equus burchelli
Nubian ibex
Oryx leucoryx
Schirmer tear test