Immobilisation quality and cardiopulmonary effects of etorphine alone compared with etorphine-azaperone in blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi)

Abstract Objective To evaluate the immobilization quality and cardiopulmonary effects of etorphine alone compared with etorphine-azaperone in blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi). Study design Blinded, randomized, crossover design. Animals A total of 12 boma-habituated female blesbok weighing [mean ± standard deviation (SD)] 57.5 ± 2.5 kg. Methods Each animal was administered etorphine (0.09 mg kg-1) or etorphine-azaperone combination (0.09 mg kg-1; 0.35 mg kg-1) intramuscularly with a 1-week intertreatment washout period. Time to first sign of altered state of consciousness and immobilization time were recorded. Physiological variables were recorded, and arterial blood samples taken during a 40-minute immobilization period, after which, naltrexone (mean ± SD: 1.83 ± 0.06 mg kg-1) was intravenously administered. Recovery times were documented, and induction, immobilization and recovery were subjectively scored. Statistical analyses were performed. p Results No difference in time to first sign, immobilization time, and recovery times were observed between treatments. Time to head up was longer with etorphine-azaperone (0.5 ± 0.2 versus 0.4 ± 0.2 minutes; p = 0.015). Etorphine caused higher arterial blood pressures (mean: 131 ± 17 versus 110 ± 11 mmHg, p Conclusions and clinical relevance Both treatments provided satisfactory immobilization of blesbok, but in addition to a deeper level of immobilization, etorphine-azaperone caused greater ventilatory impairment. Therefore, with both protocols, oxygen supplementation is recommended.