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The objective of this study was to evidence alterations in plasma biochemistry in police urban horses, before and after work. We used 28 horses divided into two groups: GI consisting of 12 animals used in the shift from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm, and GII consisting of 16 animals used in the shift from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Horses from both groups were fed 2 hours before work. Two blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of each animal, before and after work. The blood glucose and phosphate levels showed differences, the glucose concentration increased in GII and phosphate concentration increased in GI and GII. The increase of the phosphate concentrations can be due to the reduction of glomerular filtration and consequent absence of urination during work. Fasting usually stimulates gluconeogenesis in order to supply the energy demand, which may be the cause of increased blood glucose levels in the horses from GII after work. These horses worked 3 h more than horses from GI, besides they began the activities with lower basal values of blood glucose. By analyzing the results of this study, we concluded that the use of horses for urban policing resulted in hyperphosphatemia and hyperglycemia.

Twenty horses were submitted to carbohydrate overload (CO) and plasmatic concentrations of the bioactive amine serotonin (5-HT), putrescin (PUT) and cadaverin (CAD) were determined by gas chromatography. After 36h of carbohydrate overloading, horses were randomly distributed into four groups (n=5) and were submitted to four intravenous treatments every 12 hours. The treatments were as follows: 10ml of saline (GC), ketoprofen 2.2mg/kg (GK), phenylbutazone 4.4mg/kg (GF), and flunixin meglumine 1.1mg/kg (GFM). Blood samples were collected at regular intervals (0-72h) after the CO. After 6h, there were peaks in the concentrations of 5-HT, which rapidly returned to values above the basal standard. No variations of PUT concentrations were observed; however CAD concentrations increased at 6h, remaining elevated (with some variation) until the end of the observation period. In conclusion, CO induced early (6h) increases in plasmatic concentrations of 5-HT and CAD. Plasmatic concentrations of the amines were not changed by any of the treatments used.