Patterns of gastrointestinal parasite infections in bighorn sheep, , with respect to host sex and seasonality.

Males and females in sexually dimorphic species show differences in their physiology and behaviour due to differences in energetic investment into reproduction and soma. This means that the two sexes may show different patterns of parasitism at different times of the year. In this study, we evaluate the abundance of fecal eggs and larvae of 5 parasite types (Strongyles, spp.

Evaluation of a noncontrolled, pre-euthanasia, intramuscular sedation drug protocol including alfaxalone 4%, medetomidine, and acepromazine for injured or ill raccoons.

Background: As a major animal control service provider in the city of Guelph and Wellington County in Ontario, the Guelph Humane Society transports and presents injured or ill raccoons requiring humane euthanasia to the Ontario Veterinary College Health Sciences Centre (OVC-HSC). Issues around handling, transportation, and delays before euthanasia have recently raised some concerns for welfare and the need for means of improving this process.

Objective: Investigation of a noncontrolled sedation and analgesia protocol for injured or ill raccoons intended to improve animal welfare by allowing humane handling, transport, and euthanasia following administration by an animal protection officer (APO).

A PRELIMINARY STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LARYNGEAL MASK AIRWAYS IN ANESTHETIZED BIGHORN SHEEP () LAMBS.

Chemical immobilization of wildlife, required for many biological studies and management events, often induces hypoxemia and respiratory depression. Laryngeal mask airways (LMAs) have shown promise as an efficient method of airway protection during anesthesia. Nineteen wild bighorn sheep () lambs were immobilized using an IM combination of medetomidine (0.

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AZAPERONE AND MIDAZOLAM ON NETGUN-CAPTURED MULE DEER (ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS).

Netgun capture is a commonly used capture method for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in North America. Mortalities during netgun captures are generally low, and most often caused by direct trauma and occasionally fatal capture myopathy. Capture is a stressful event for a wild animal, and subclinical capture myopathy is difficult to measure.

The utility of a novel formulation of alfaxalone in a remote delivery system.

Objective: To quantify induction time, reliability, physiological effects, recovery quality and dart volume of a novel formulation of alfaxalone (40 mg mL) used in combination with medetomidine and azaperone for the capture and handling of wild bighorn sheep.

Study Design: Prospective clinical study.

Animals: A total of 23 wild bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Sheep River Provincial Park, AB, Canada.

Anesthesia techniques used for field castration of 10 intractable horses.

Dealing with an intractable horse is a reality for nearly every equine or mixed animal veterinarian. Establishing an adequate level of sedation prior to induction of anesthesia for various clinical procedures involves little margin for error regarding the safety of the veterinarian, handler, and patient. This is further compounded by the extreme difficulty of gaining venous access required to obtain rapid and reliable results.

Evaluation of intramuscular sodium nitroprusside injection to improve oxygenation in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) anesthetized with medetomidine-alfaxalone-azaperone.

Objective: In ungulates, α-adrenergic agonists can decrease oxygenation possibly through alteration of pulmonary perfusion. Sodium nitroprusside can decrease pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and increase cardiac output (Q˙) through vasodilation. The objective was to determine if sodium nitroprusside would improve pulmonary perfusion and attenuate the increased alveolar-arterial (a-a) gradient resulting from medetomidine-azaperone-alfaxalone (MAA) administration.

Benchmarking calving management practices on western Canada cow-calf operations.

Benchmarking current calving management practices and herd demographics in the western Canadian cow-calf production system helps to fill the gap in knowledge and understanding of how this production system works. Further investigation into the relationships between management decisions and calf health may guide the development of management practices and protocols to improve calf health, especially in compromised calves after a difficult birth. Therefore, the objectives of this cross-sectional study were to describe current calving management practices on western Canadian cow-calf ranches and to investigate the association of herd demographics with herd-level incidence of calving assistance, morbidity, mortality, and use of calving and colostrum management practices.

ORAL HALOPERIDOL PREMEDICATION TO REDUCE CAPTURE STRESS PRIOR TO XYLAZINE-KETAMINE ANESTHESIA IN CAPTIVE SPOTTED DEER ().

A prospective clinical trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy of haloperidol premedication prior to xylazine-ketamine anesthesia with a goal of reducing capture stress in adult male captive spotted deer (). On the morning of the study, deer were fed a banana either containing haloperidol tablets (1 mg/kg) (haloperidol group, = 10) or without haloperidol (placebo group, = 10). Six hours postadministration, xylazine (3 mg/kg) and ketamine (2 mg/kg) was administered intramuscularly via a dart.

A randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of administering a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug to beef calves assisted at birth and risk factors associated with passive immunity, health, and growth.

Background: The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of pain mitigation at birth to assisted beef calves and determine the risk factors associated with transfer of passive immunity (TPI), health, and growth.

Methods: Two hundred and thirty cow-calf pairs requiring calving assistance were enrolled. Calves were randomised to receive meloxicam (0.

Clinical impacts of administering a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to beef calves after assisted calving on pain and inflammation, passive immunity, health, and growth.

Assisted calves are often born weak, injured, or oxygen deprived and have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. The objective was to investigate the impact of using pain mitigation at birth in assisted beef calves on physiological indicators of pain and inflammation, passive immunity, health, and growth. Thirty-three primiparous cows and their calves requiring assistance at birth on two ranches located in southern Alberta were enrolled.

Quantifying subclinical trauma associated with calving difficulty, vigour, and passive immunity in newborn beef calves.

This cross-sectional study quantifies subclinical trauma associated with calving difficulty, calf vigour, and passive immunity (PI) in newborn beef calves. The degree of calving difficulty was categorised as: unassisted, easy assist (one or two people manually pulling to deliver the calf) and difficult assist (more than two people pulling, a fetal extractor (ie, calf jack), or caesarean section). Vigour assessment occurred at 10 minutes and blood sampling at 24 hours after birth in 77 beef calves.

Assessing the Efficacy of Ventilation of Anesthetized Neonatal Calves Using a Laryngeal Mask Airway or Mask Resuscitator.

Calves that have undergone a dystocia are often hypoxic and acidemic, which can result in reduced vigor and subsequent mortality. Methods of field resuscitation of apneic newborn calves are often ineffective and therefore underutilized. This proof-of-concept study aimed to determine the efficacy of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) as well as the current industry standard method of ventilation, the McCulloch Calf Aspirator/ Resuscitator (MMR) for positive pressure ventilation of neonatal calves.

Testicular hyperthermia increases blood flow that maintains aerobic metabolism in rams.

There is a paradigm that testicular hyperthermia fails to increase testicular blood flow and that an ensuing hypoxia impairs spermatogenesis. However, in our previous studies, decreases in normal and motile spermatozoa after testicular warming were neither prevented by concurrent hyperoxia nor replicated by hypoxia. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of increasing testicular temperature on testicular blood flow and O2 delivery and uptake and to detect evidence of anaerobic metabolism.

An investigation of the effects of intratesticular alfaxalone and lidocaine during castration in piglets.

Objective: To determine whether intratesticular injection of an alfaxalone-lidocaine combination can induce anesthesia and provide a rapid recovery in piglets undergoing surgical castration.

Study Design: Randomized experimental study.

Animals: A group of 30 male piglets, aged 2-10 days, weighing 1.

COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF MEDETOMIDINE-KETAMINE VERSUS MEDETOMIDINE-AZAPERONE-ALFAXALONE COMBINATION IN FREE-RANGING ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP ( OVIS CANADENSIS).

Chemical immobilization is a key aspect of wildlife management. To minimize dose-dependent adverse effects, immobilization protocols often include two or more synergistic agents, which allows for reductions in individual drug dosages. Free-ranging bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis) in Canada ( n = 74) were remotely injected with a combination of medetomidine (0.

Increased testicular blood flow maintains oxygen delivery and avoids testicular hypoxia in response to reduced oxygen content in inspired air.

Despite a long-standing assertion that mammalian testes operate near hypoxia and increased testicular temperature causes frank hypoxia, we have preliminary evidence that changes are due to hyperthermia per se. The objective was to determine how variations in inspired oxygen concentration affected testicular blood flow, oxygen delivery and extraction, testicular temperature and lactate production. Eight rams were maintained under general anesthesia, with successive decreases in oxygen concentration in inspired air (100, 21 and 13%, respectively).

Cardiopulmonary Effects of a Partial Intravenous Anesthesia Technique for Laboratory Swine.

Various anesthetic protocols are used in laboratory swine, each with specific advantages and disadvantages. Partial intravenous anesthetic techniques (PIVA) help minimize dose-dependent cardiopulmonary effects of inhalant drugs. The aim of this study was to determine the cardiopulmonary effects of a PIVA in laboratory swine.

CAPTURE OF FREE-RANGING MULE DEER (ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS) WITH A COMBINATION OF MEDETOMIDINE, AZAPERONE, AND ALFAXALONE.

The combination of medetomidine, azaperone, and alfaxalone has been successfully used to anesthetize captive white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ). This same combination was utilized to immobilize free-ranging female mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ; MD) in urban and nonurban environments (14 urban MD, 14 nonurban MD) in British Columbia, Canada. Physiologic data were collected to assess the safety and reliability of this drug combination under field conditions.

Clinical indicators of blood gas disturbances, elevated L-lactate concentration and other abnormal blood parameters in newborn beef calves.

Blood gas disturbances, commonly resulting from dystocia, are associated with failed transfer of passive immunity, morbidity and mortality in newborn calves. Modified APGAR scores intended to identify compromised calves are not widely adopted due to lack of practicality and inconsistent associations with blood parameters. The objective of this study was to determine clinical indicators of acidemia in newborn beef calves.

Comparison of tranexamic acid plasma concentrations when administered via intraosseous and intravenous routes.

Introduction: There is a lack of information regarding intraosseous (IO) administration of tranexamic acid (TXA). Our hypothesis was that a single bolus IO injection of TXA will have a similar pharmacokinetic profile to TXA administered at the same dose IV.

Methods: Sixteen male Landrace cross swine (mean body weight 27.

Evaluation of a portable oxygen concentrator to provide fresh gas flow to dogs undergoing anesthesia.

This study evaluated the ability of a portable oxygen concentrator (POC) to provide fresh gas to an anesthetic machine via an Ayre's T-piece or a Bain circuit. Fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) was compared at flows of 0.5 to 3.

EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF A MEDETOMIDINE-AZAPERONE-ALFAXALONE COMBINATION IN CAPTIVE WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS).

Alfaxalone is a neurosteroid that interacts with gamma-aminobutyric type A receptors to produce central nervous system depression and muscle relaxation. The effects of alfaxalone vary from sedation to general anesthesia. Alfaxalone is synergistic with other tranquilizers and sedatives and therefore has the potential to improve existing alpha-2 adrenergic agonist-based combinations used for wildlife immobilization.

Splenectomy Versus Sham Splenectomy in a Swine Model of Controlled Hemorrhagic Shock.

Introduction: Splenectomy is controversial in acute hemorrhagic shock models.

Objective: To compare splenectomized (SP) versus sham-splenectomized (SSP) swine during acute controlled hemorrhage.

Methods: Twenty-six male Landrace White swine (mean body weight ± standard deviation, 33.

EFFECT OF ACTIVE COOLING AND α-2 ADRENOCEPTOR ANTAGONISM ON CORE TEMPERATURE IN ANESTHETIZED BROWN BEARS (URSUS ARCTOS).

Hyperthermia is a common complication during anesthesia of bears, and it can be life threatening. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of active cooling on core body temperature for treatment of hyperthermia in anesthetized brown bears (Ursus arctos). In addition, body temperature after reversal with atipamezole was also evaluated.