title: Electroretinography in the western gray kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform electroretinography on normal anesthetized western gray kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). Animals studied  Six captive western gray kangaroos.
  
  
  METHODS
  The kangaroos were anesthetized using a combination of ketamine and medetomidine via a remote drug delivery system, then were maintained on isoflurane after endotracheal intubation and reversal of the medetomidine with atipamazole. After a minimum of 20 min of dark adaptation, electroretinograms were obtained using a handheld electroretinography (ERG) machine using a single flash protocol at three light intensities: 10 mcd.s/m(2), 3000 mcd.s/m(2), 10 000 mcd.s/m(2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 10 mcd.s/m(2) the mean b-wave amplitude and implicit time was 102.0 μV (SD ± 41.3 and 95% CI 68.9-135.1) and 78.4 ms (SD ± 8.3 and 95% CI 71.8-85.0). At 3000 mcd.s/m(2) the mean a-wave amplitude and implicit time was 69.9 μV (SD ± 20.5 and 95% CI 53.5-86.3) and 17.6 ms (SD ± 1.5 and 95% CI 16.4-18.8) and the mean b-wave amplitude and implicit time was 175.4 μV (SD ± 35.9 and 95% CI 146.7-204.1) and 74.1 ms (SD ± 3.5 and 95% CI 71.2-76.9). At 10 000 mcd.s/m(2) the mean a-wave amplitude and implicit time was 89.1 μV (SD ± 27.1 and 95% CI 67.5-110.8) and 16.8 ms (SD ± 1.0 and 95% CI 16.0-17.0) and the mean b-wave amplitude and implicit time was 203.7 μV (SD ± 41.4 and 95% CI 170.6-236.8) and 75.4 ms (SD ± 3.3 and 95% CI 72.8-78.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electroretinography outside of the typical clinical setting is feasible using a portable ERG system and allows for quick analysis of retinal function in exotic species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Urbana, Illinois, USA. alabelle@illinois.edu
authors.forename: Amber L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Labelle
authors.forename: Ralph E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hamor
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Narfström
authors.forename: Carrie B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Breaux
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D007614:Macropodidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*