Repeated balanced anesthesia in a juvenile sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) for diagnostic imaging and orthopedic interventions in a hospital setting.

Abstract

The drug protocol and complications of 10 episodes of balanced anesthesia over 50 days for diagnostic imaging and orthopedic procedures in a captive female sable antelope are described. The antelope was initially admitted for lameness assessment of the right thoracic limb and admitted a second time for further lameness evaluation (right thoracic and pelvic limbs). Age and body weight ranged 5-6 months and 40-47 kg, respectively, between admissions. For the first anesthetic (day 1), after 4-6 hours of fasting (free access to water), the antelope was administered intramuscular medetomidine-vatinoxan (0.02 mg kg^-1), midazolam (0.3 mg kg^-1), ketamine (2 mg kg^-1) and butorphanol (0.2 mg kg^-1). Orotracheal intubation was performed 13 minutes after injection and followed by 45 minutes of sevoflurane (approximately 1% expired concentration; Fe'Sevo). Naloxone, atipamezole and flumazenil were administered to hasten recovery. For the nine additional anesthetics (days 35-50), intravenous premedication [midazolam (0.1-0.2 mg kg^-1), combined with butorphanol (0.17 mg kg^-1) for the second anesthetic] and anesthetic induction [ketamine (1.7-3.0 mg kg^-1) and propofol (0.7-2.7 mg kg^-1)] were followed by sevoflurane for maintenance (Fe'Sevo 1.22-2.17% for 40-90 minutes), delivered through an endotracheal tube (8.0-8.5 mm internal diameter). Tracheal extubation was performed 3-18 minutes after sevoflurane discontinuation. Morphine (0.1-0.2 mg kg^-1) and saline (6-10 mL) were injected once daily through an epidural catheter (days 38-47). Complications during anesthesia included hypercapnia (10/10 anesthetics), hypothermia (9/10), hypotension (8/10), hypoglycemia (1/10), ruminal tympany (1/10) and regurgitation (1/10). Owing to the lack of response to treatment and grave prognosis, euthanasia was performed. Postmortem findings included chronic-active fibrinosuppurative polyarthritis of the right femoropatellar and metacarpophalangeal joints, necrosuppurative pyelitis and laryngeal petechiation. This case is described as a resource for anesthesia of juvenile antelopes in a hospital setting.