Cardiopulmonary effects of medetomidine or midazolam in combination with ketamine or tiletamine/zolazepam for the immobilisation of captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).
Captive cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) scheduled for either general health examination or dental surgery were immobilised with combinations of medetomidine-ketamine (K/DET, n = 19), midazolam-ketamine (K/MID, n = 4) or medetomidine-tiletamine-zolazepam (Z/DET, n = 5). Induction time and arterial blood pressure was not statistically significantly (P > 0.05) different between treatment groups. Transient seizures were observed in the K/DET treated animals during induction. Hypertension was present in all groups during anaesthesia with mean (+/- SD) systolic pressure of 30.7 +/- 5.0 kPa for the K/DET group, 27.7 +/- 2.7 kPa for the K/MID group, and 33.1 +/- 4.6 kPa for the Z/DET group. Heart rate was statistically significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the K/DET group (69 +/- 13.2 beats/min) compared to the K/MID group (97 +/- 22.6 beats/min), and ventilation rate was statistically significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the K/MID group (15 +/- 0.0 breaths/min) compared with the K/DET group (21 +/- 4.6). A metabolic acidosis and hypoxia were observed during anaesthesia when breathing air. Oxygen (O2) administration resulted in a statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (hypercapnoea), arterial partial pressure of O2, and % oxyhaemoglobin saturation.
Stegmann
G F
GF
Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa. frik.stegmann@up.ac.za
Jago
M
M
D002612:Acinonyx / Q000502:physiology*; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D007103:Immobilization / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D007649:Ketamine; D020926:Medetomidine; D008874:Midazolam; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D013992:Tiletamine; D015041:Zolazepam
D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D013992:Tiletamine; D007649:Ketamine; D015041:Zolazepam; D020926:Medetomidine; D008874:Midazolam; D010100:Oxygen