Tremors in white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) during etorphine–azaperone immobilisation

Journal of the South African Veterinary Association

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Tremors in white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) during etorphine–azaperone immobilisation
 
Creator de Lange, Stephanie S. Fuller, Andrea Haw, Anna Hofmeyr, Markus Buss, Peter Miller, Michele Meyer, Leith C.R.
 
Subject veterinary science; wildlife anaesthesia hypoxaemia; hypoxic; acidaemia; catecholamine; accelerometer logger
Description Little is known about the mechanisms causing tremors during immobilisation of rhinoceros and whether cardiorespiratory supportive interventions alter their intensity. Therefore, we set out to determine the possible mechanisms that lead to muscle tremors and ascertain whether cardiorespiratory supportive interventions affect tremor intensity. We studied tremors and physiological responses during etorphine–azaperone immobilisation in eight boma-held and 14 free-living white rhinoceroses. Repeated measures analysis of variance and a Friedman test were used to determine differences in variables over time and between interventions. Spearman and Pearson correlations were used to test for associations between variables. Tremor intensity measured objectively by activity loggers correlated well (p 0.0001; r2 = 0.9) with visual observations. Tremor intensity was greatest when animals were severely hypoxaemic and acidaemic. Tremor intensity correlated strongly and negatively with partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2 ) (p = 0.0003; r2 = 0.9995) and potential of hydrogen (pH) (p = 0.02, r2 = 0.97). It correlated strongly and positively with adrenaline concentrations (p = 0.003; r2 = 0.96), and adrenaline correlated strongly and negatively with PaO2 (p = 0.03; r2 = 0.95) and pH (p = 0.03; r2 = 0.94). Therefore, hypoxaemia and acidaemia were likely associated with the intensity of tremors through their activation of the release of tremorgenic levels of adrenaline. Tremors can be reduced if circulating adrenaline is reduced, and this can be achieved by the administration of butorphanol plus oxygen insufflation. Furthermore, to assist with reducing the risks associated with rhinoceros immobilisation, tremor intensity could be used as a clinical indicator of respiratory and metabolic compromise.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor National Research Foundation (NRF) University of the Witwatersrand University of Pretoria
Date 2017-02-24
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Investigational
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/jsava.v88i0.1466
 
Source Journal of the South African Veterinary Association; Vol 88 (2017); 10 pages 2224-9435 1019-9128
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://jsava.co.za/index.php/jsava/article/view/1466/1854 https://jsava.co.za/index.php/jsava/article/view/1466/1853 https://jsava.co.za/index.php/jsava/article/view/1466/1856 https://jsava.co.za/index.php/jsava/article/view/1466/1848
 
Coverage African savanah current subadult; male; white rhinoceros
Rights Copyright (c) 2017 Stephanie S. de Lange, Andrea Fuller, Anna Haw, Markus Hofmeyr, Peter Buss, Michele Miller, Leith C.R. Meyer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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