Plasma lactate concentrations in free-ranging moose (Alces alces) immobilized with etorphine.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate plasma lactate concentrations of etorphine-immobilized moose in relation to environmental, temporal and physiological parameters. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Fourteen female and five male moose (Alces alces), estimated age range 1-7 years. METHODS: The moose were darted from a helicopter with 7.5 mg etorphine per animal using projectile syringes and a dart gun. Once immobilized, the moose were approached, a venous blood sample was obtained and vital signs including pulse oximetry were recorded. Diprenorphine was administered to reverse the effects of etorphine. Timing of events, ambient temperature and snow depth were recorded. Blood samples were cooled and centrifuged before plasma was harvested and frozen. The plasma was thawed later and lactate analysed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. RESULTS: All animals recovered uneventfully and were alive 12 weeks after immobilization. Mean +/- SD plasma lactate was found to be 9.2 +/- 2.1 mmol L(-1). Plasma lactate concentrations were related positively to snow depth and negatively to time from induction of immobilization to blood sampling. The model that best described the variability in plasma lactate concentrations used induction time (time from firing the dart to the moose being immobilized). The second best model included induction time and snow depth. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Plasma lactate concentrations in these etorphine-immobilized moose were in the range reported for other immobilized wild ruminants. Decreasing induction time, which may be related to a more profound etorphine effect, and increasing snow depth possibly may increase plasma lactate concentrations in etorphine-immobilized moose.

Biochemical and hematologic reference values for free-ranging, chemically immobilized wild norwegian reindeer (rangifer tarandus tarandus) during early winter.

Hematologic and serum biochemistry values were evaluated in free-ranging, wild Norwegian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) as part of a reintroduction program in southwestern Norway in November 1995 and 1996. Animals were immobilized with medetomidine-ketamine by dart from a helicopter. Blood was drawn for serum chemistry from 31 adults (nine males and 22 females) and for hematology from 29 adults (eight males and 21 females). Significant differences (P<0.05) were found between male and female results for alkaline phosphatase, selenium, and zinc. Although there was a significant difference between male and female gamma-globulin values and the total albumin:globulin ratio, the overall values are much lower than those reported for other Rangifer species. Sexual differences should be interpreted with caution due to the low number of males compared to females. References ranges are presented combining male and female results for hematology and serum chemistry and separately for males and females for serum electrophoresis. No correlation was found between induction time and aspartate transaminase, creatine kinase, glucose, cortisol, or total protein. Blood values were generally similar to those published for semidomestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) and free-ranging caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), but the effect of capture drugs, stress, season, and sample size should be considered with interpretation. This paper provides the first report of baseline hematologic and serum biochemistry reference ranges for free-ranging, wild Norwegian reindeer during early winter.

Physiologic evaluation of medetomidine-ketamine anesthesia in free-ranging Svalbard (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) and wild Norwegian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus).

Previously published studies indicated that combinations of medetomidine and ketamine were effective for both Svalbard (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) and wild Norwegian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). Both previous studies indicated that reindeer were hypoxemic on the basis of pulse oximetry. We conducted a physiologic evaluation of these two protocols using arterial blood gases. Medetomidine (10 mg) and ketamine (200 mg) were administered by dart from the ground in Svalbard reindeer (October 2010) and from a helicopter for wild reindeer (March 2012). Of tested animals, all seven wild reindeer and five of seven Svalbard reindeer were hypoxemic before oxygen administration. Nasal oxygen insufflation (1 L/min for five Svalbard reindeer and one wild reindeer and 2 L/min for four wild reindeer) corrected hypoxemia in all cases evaluated. For reversal, all animals received 5 mg atipamezole per mg medetomidine intramuscularly.

Effective immobilizing doses of medetomidine-ketamine in free-ranging, wild Norwegian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus).

Combinations of medetomidine and ketamine were evaluated in free-ranging, wild Norwegian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) as part of a reintroduction program in southwestern Norway in November 1995 and November 1996. The drugs were administered by dart from a helicopter. The mean (SD) effective immobilizing doses for 29 adults (8 males, 21 females) were 0.21 (0.04) mg medetomidine/kg and 1.0 (0.2) mg ketamine/ kg based on estimated body mass. There was no significant difference in mean induction times between males and females. However, animals with optimal hits (shoulder or thigh muscles; n=16) had a significantly shorter (P<0.05) mean induction time than did animals with suboptimal hits (abdomen or flank; n=13), 5.6 (2.2) min and 11.1 (4.7) min, respectively. Inductions were calm, and immobilized animals were maintained in sternal recumbency. Clinical side effects included hypoxemia and hyperthermia in most animals. For reversal, all animals received 5 mg atipamezole per mg medetomidine, half intravenously and half intramuscularly, and the mean (SD) time to standing was 3.7 (3.6) min.