Repeated balanced anesthesia in a juvenile sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) for diagnostic imaging and orthopedic...

The drug protocol and complications of 10 episodes of balanced anesthesia over 50 days for diagnostic imaging and orthopedic procedures in a captive female sable antelope are described. The antelope was initially admitted for lameness assessment of the right thoracic limb and admitted a second time for further lameness evaluation (right thoracic and pelvic limbs). Age and body weight ranged 5-6 months and 40-47 kg, respectively, between admissions. For the first anesthetic (day 1), after 4-6 hours of fasting (free access to water), the antelope was administered intramuscular medetomidine-vatinoxan (0.02 mg kg^-1), midazolam (0.3 mg kg^-1), ketamine (2 mg kg^-1) and butorphanol (0.2 mg kg^-1). Orotracheal intubation was performed 13 minutes after injection and followed by 45 minutes of sevoflurane (approximately 1% expired concentration; Fe'Sevo). Naloxone, atipamezole and flumazenil were administered to hasten recovery. For the nine additional anesthetics (days 35-50), intravenous premedication [midazolam (0.1-0.2 mg kg^-1), combined with butorphanol (0.17 mg kg^-1) for the second anesthetic] and anesthetic induction [ketamine (1.7-3.0 mg kg^-1) and propofol (0.7-2.7 mg kg^-1)] were followed by sevoflurane for maintenance (Fe'Sevo 1.22-2.17% for 40-90 minutes), delivered through an endotracheal tube (8.0-8.5 mm internal diameter). Tracheal extubation was performed 3-18 minutes after sevoflurane discontinuation. Morphine (0.1-0.2 mg kg^-1) and saline (6-10 mL) were injected once daily through an epidural catheter (days 38-47). Complications during anesthesia included hypercapnia (10/10 anesthetics), hypothermia (9/10), hypotension (8/10), hypoglycemia (1/10), ruminal tympany (1/10) and regurgitation (1/10). Owing to the lack of response to treatment and grave prognosis, euthanasia was performed. Postmortem findings included chronic-active fibrinosuppurative polyarthritis of the right femoropatellar and metacarpophalangeal joints, necrosuppurative pyelitis and laryngeal petechiation. This case is described as a resource for anesthesia of juvenile antelopes in a hospital setting.