Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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    Use of butorphanol and diprenorphine to counter respiratory impairment in the immobilised white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
    (African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS, 2018-10-18) Meyer LCR; Fuller A; Hofmeyr M; Buss P; Miller M; Haw A
    Opioid-induced immobilisation results in severe respiratory impairment in the white rhinoceros. It has therefore been attempted in the field to reverse this impairment with the use of opioid agonist-antagonists, such as nalorphine, nalbuphine, butorphanol and diprenorphine; however, the efficacy of some of these treatments has yet to be determined. The efficacy of butorphanol, either alone or in combination with diprenorphine both with and without oxygen insufflation, in alleviating opioid-induced respiratory impairment was evaluated. The study was performed in two parts: a boma trial and a field trial. Rhinoceroses were immobilised specifically for the study, according to a strict protocol to minimise confounding variables. A two-way analysis of variance was used to compare the physiological responses of the rhinoceroses to the different treatments and their effects over time. The intravenous administration of butorphanol (at 3.3 mg per mg etorphine) plus diprenorphine (at 0.4 mg per mg etorphine) did not offer any advantage over butorphanol (at 15 mg per mg etorphine) alone with regard to improving PaO2, PaCO2 and respiratory rates in etorphine-immobilised white rhinoceroses. Both butorphanol + diprenorphine + oxygen and butorphanol + oxygen, at the doses used, significantly improved the etorphine-induced hypoxaemia in both boma- and field-immobilised white rhinoceroses. Clinically acceptable oxygenation in field-immobilised white rhinoceroses can be achieved by using either treatment regimen, provided that it is combined with oxygen insufflation.
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    Muscle tremors observed in white rhinoceroses immobilised with either etorphine-azaperone or etorphine-midazolam: An initial study
    (AOSIS, 2021-06-28) Nasr M; Meyer LCR; Buss P; Fàbregas MC; Gleed RD; Boesch JM; Pohlin F
    Etorphine-azaperone is the most commonly used drug combination for chemical immobilisation of free-ranging white rhinoceroses, but causes several profound physiological disturbances, including muscle tremors. The addition of benzodiazepine sedatives, such as midazolam, has been proposed to reduce the muscular rigidity and tremors in immobilised rhinoceroses. Twenty-three free-ranging, sub-adult white rhinoceros bulls were darted and captured using a combination of etorphine plus either azaperone or midazolam. Skeletal muscle tremors were visually evaluated and scored by an experienced veterinarian, and tremor scores and distance run were compared between groups using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. No statistical differences were observed in tremor scores (p = 0.435) or distance run (p = 0.711) between the two groups, and no correlation between these variables was detected (r = -0.628; p = 0.807). Etorphine-midazolam was as effective as etorphine-azaperone at immobilising rhinoceroses, with animals running similar distances. Although the addition of midazolam to the etorphine did not reduce tremor scores compared to azaperone, it might have other beneficial immobilising effects in rhinoceroses, and further investigation is necessary to elucidate possible methods of reducing muscle tremoring during chemical immobilisation of rhinoceroses.
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    Two Point-of-Care Cardiac Troponin I Immunoassays Have Acceptable Analytical Performance for the Detection of Measurands of Cardiac Troponin I Cardiac Muscle Homogenates From Southern-Central Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor) and Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)
    (Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology, 2025-06-04) Rautenbach Y; Meyer LCR; Goddard A; Buss PE; Hooijberg EH
    Background Skeletal and possible cardiac muscle damage has been reported in chemically immobilized and transported African rhinoceros during conservation-related activities. The extent of cardiac muscle injury in these rhinoceros is unknown due to a lack of validated cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assays. However, recently, five human cTnI assays were deemed suitable for analytical validation in African rhinoceros based on cTnI sequencing results. Objectives The first objective was to validate two cTnI immunoassay point-of-care analyzers (POCAs) in African rhinoceros and, secondly, to perform quality control (QC) validation for the POCAs. Methods Analytical validation of the Stratus CS Acute Care Troponin I cTnI immunoassay and Atellica VTLi high sensitivity cTnI (hs-cTnI) assay was performed using rhinoceros serum samples and species-specific cardiac muscle homogenate. Experiments included precision studies, reportable range, hemoglobin interference studies, recovery studies, and detection limit studies, with results assessed against prescribed total allowable error (TEa) performance goals. Commercial quality control material (QCM) data were used to calculate bias and imprecision for QC validation. Results Imprecision was acceptable (1.9%–10.3%) and met low cTnI concentration performance goals. Reportable ranges were similar to the manufacturer's specifications. High hemoglobin concentrations in white rhinoceros resulted in a positive bias in the Stratus CS. A simple 13s QC rule using two levels of QCM and a TEa of 70% could be used in both analyzers, except at very low cTnI concentrations in the Atellica VTLi. Conclusions Both cTnI POCAs are suitable for use in African rhinoceros, and analytical performance goals for low cTnI concentrations in hs-cTnI assays were met.