title: Anaesthetic management of a 10-month-old white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) calf for emergency exploratory celiotomy.
abstract: A 10-month-old, 580 kg, hand-reared white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) calf was  presented for emergency exploratory celiotomy. Anaesthesia was safely induced with three  successive intravenous (IV) boluses of diazepam (10 mg) and ketamine (100 mg) until the  trachea could be intubated. Anaesthesia was adequately maintained with isoflurane-inoxygen (mean end-tidal isoflurane concentration of 1.1% ± 0.2%) on a circle anaesthetic  machine with carbon dioxide absorption and an intravenous infusion of ketamine and  medetomidine at a mean rate of 0.02 mg/kg/min and 0.02 µg/kg/min, respectively. Mean  values recorded during anaesthesia and surgery were heart rate (56.9 ± 11 beats/min),  mean arterial blood pressure (6.16 kPa ± 1.75 kPa), end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration  (6.23 kPa ± 0.30 kPa). Abdominal gas distension contributed to hypoventilation that resulted  in hypercapnoea, confirmed by arterial blood gas analysis (PaCO2  14.69 kPa), which required  controlled ventilation for correction. Blood volume was maintained with the intravenous  infusion of a balanced electrolyte solution at 10 mL/kg/h and blood pressure supported with  a continuous infusion of dobutamine and phenylephrine. Duration of anaesthesia was 3.5 h.  It was concluded that anaesthesia was safely induced in a compromised white rhinoceros calf  with a combination of diazepam and ketamine. A constant-rate infusion of medetomidine and  ketamine allowed for a reduction in the dose of isoflurane required during maintenance of  anaesthesia and improved intra-operative blood pressure management.
authors: Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa. gareth.zeiler@up.ac.za
authors: Gareth E
authors: GE
authors: Zeiler
authors: George F
authors: GF
authors: Stegmann
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D018681:Anesthetics, General / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D003975:Diazepam / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004630:Emergencies / Q000662:veterinary; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D010527:Perissodactyla / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D018681:Anesthetics, General; D007649:Ketamine; D007530:Isoflurane; D003975:Diazepam