Mycocenosis of air environment of service dogs and effect on morphobiochemical parameters of blood in the climatic conditions of Western Urals

This article analyzes the contamination of air environment in areas where German Shepherd and Belgian Shepherd (Malinois) service dogs are kept by mold microfungi. Bedding is identified as the most likely contaminant. Two types of bedding are used in the kennels of service dogs in canine units: straw and chaff from grain crops and wood shavings, depending on the season and region of the Far North. The article highlights the difficulties in standardizing the quality requirements for supplied bedding materials when drafting procurement specifications, taking into account current standards (GOST). The article also presents the results of mycological air environment analysis using the sedimentation method on Chapek medium. When straw was used as bedding, the average airborne microbial count was 17 390.0 CFU/m3 in adult dogs and 6 360.0 CFU/m3 in puppies, which is higher than when wood shavings (sawdust) were used (1,811.0 and 2,038.0 CFU/m3, respectively). No significant differences in the micromycete count were found in the feed storage rooms and in feed kitchen, with counts ranging from 127.4 to 169.8 CFU/m3. Mold counts in the sawdust storage area were 205 times lower than in the straw-filled hayloft. The morphochemical profile of the blood of service dogs reflects the impact of different bedding materials. Blood parameters demonstrated lower variability when using straw bedding. No significant differences in key hematological parameters were noted, but the monocyte percentage was close to the lower limit of normal in dogs of this group. Statistically significant changes under these conditions included a two-fold increase in aspartate aminotransferase activity and a 40% increase in alanine aminotransferase, decreased protein levels, and increased serum creatinine concentrations, indicating a toxic load on the liver. More pronounced blood changes were observed in Malinois.