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Tremors in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) during chemical immobilisation

Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2015.

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Other Authors: Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2016
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author2 Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney
author_browse Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney
author_facet Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2016 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2015.
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:37:58.997Z
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provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/53294 Tremors in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) during chemical immobilisation Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney sdelange1989@gmail.com Fuller, Andrea Haw, Anna De Lange, Stephanie Siobhan UCTD White rhinoceros Hypoxaemia Acidaemia Veterinary science theses SDG-03 Veterinary science theses SDG-09 Veterinary science theses SDG-12 Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2015. White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) are susceptible to developing muscle tremors during chemical immobilisation induced by potent opioid receptor agonists. Whether these tremors result directly from the actions of the opioids or from other physiological changes associated with immobilisation is unknown. A pilot study on 8 boma-managed chemically immobilised rhinoceros was conducted using different supportive interventions for the animal?s cardiorespiratory systems to test whether these interventions had an effect on tremors during chemical immobilisation. The pilot study revealed that butorphanol, a partial opioid agonist/antagonist, combined with nasotracheal oxygen insufflation, compared to the control, was the only intervention that decreased the observed tremor intensity and adequately stabilized the rhinoceros cardiorespiratory system in the immobilised rhinoceros. With this knowledge and using the same drug protocol (etorphine and azaperone and hyaluronidase) and supportive interventions (butorphanol and nasotracheal oxygen insufflation), a field study was conducted to quantify tremors, both objectively and subjectively, and record various physiological responses of 14 rhinoceros during a 25 minute chemical immobilisation period. Butorphanol was injected intravenously 6 minutes after the rhinoceros became laterally recumbent. Tracheal oxygen insufflation was also administered from this time. Occurrence (intensity) of tremors was assessed every minute throughout the 25 minute immobilisation period, both subjectively by human observation, and objectively by accelerometer data loggers placed on the front leg. Arterial blood pH, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, electrolytes and plasma catecholamine concentrations were measured at 5 minute time points. The tremor intensity was highest (5 minutes 28 counts/min) just after the animals became recumbent, but decreased (3 counts/min) after butorphanol and nasotracheal oxygen insufflation was administered. Tremor intensity was correlated with the mean pH, arterial partial pressure of oxygen, serum potassium and median plasma adrenaline concentration. High tremor intensity occurred when plasma adrenaline concentrations were elevated and when hypoxaemia and acidaemia were at their worst. Hypoxaemia and acidaemia, both physiological stressors, were correlated with the increased plasma adrenaline concentrations. These correlations indicate that changes in blood oxygenation and pH could be the driving force behind the changes in the tremor intensity. Butorphanol and nasotracheal oxygen insufflation corrected the hypoxia and acidaemia and reduced tremor intensity. Therefore, tremor intensity could possibly indicate the severity of the pathophysiological effects of the capture drugs on a rhinoceros cardiorespiratory system. tm2016 es2026 Paraclinical Sciences MSc SDG-03: Good health and well-being SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production 2016-06-22T08:00:37Z 2016-06-22T08:00:37Z 2016-04-21 2015 Dissertation De Lange, SS 2015, Tremors in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) during chemical immobilization, MSc Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/53294> A2016 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/53294 en © 2016 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
White rhinoceros
Hypoxaemia
Acidaemia
Veterinary science theses SDG-03
Veterinary science theses SDG-09
Veterinary science theses SDG-12
Tremors in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) during chemical immobilisation
title Tremors in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) during chemical immobilisation
title_full Tremors in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) during chemical immobilisation
title_fullStr Tremors in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) during chemical immobilisation
title_full_unstemmed Tremors in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) during chemical immobilisation
title_short Tremors in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) during chemical immobilisation
title_sort tremors in white rhinoceros ceratotherium simum during chemical immobilisation
topic UCTD
White rhinoceros
Hypoxaemia
Acidaemia
Veterinary science theses SDG-03
Veterinary science theses SDG-09
Veterinary science theses SDG-12
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/53294