Vets into the Wild

Two Galapagos Tortoises had to be transported to Stockholm Zoo and for this matter they’ve had to be examined and the sex determined. Diagnostic ultrasonography  was used to identify the sex of the turtles. Each turtle was placed sternally on a ladder which restrained the  movement.   A linear ultrasound transducer was placed on the inguinal area, just cranial of the hind limb. In one turtle it was clearly seen on the display  shapes of the eggs. It was concluded that one turtle was a female and the other a male.

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A subadult Gibbon had to be anesthetized for determining the sex and placement of a microchip. A previous attempt to anesthetize the animal with the blowing pipe was made some days before but  without success- this because of the small size and quickness of the monkey. By looking at the animal it was estimated to have around 3 kg.  Early in the morning the keeper tried to give to the monkey some food mixed with an oral anesthetic ( Zoletil a mixture of a dissociative agent- Tiletamine and a benzodiazepine -Zolazepam), but the monkey refused to eat it.

The vets then tried to shoot the animal with anesthesic darts using blow pipes. They used  3ml size darts and they mixed in the same dart a dissociative agent- Ketamine 0,5ml and an Alpha 2 agonist agent- Xylazine 0,5 ml.  After  about 12 attempts they succeeded to hit the animal, probably, in one arm. The anesthesia was smooth without any side effects, giving the possibility for a proper clinical consult. The microchip was placed and it was determined the monkey was a female.  After 25 minutes Xilazine was antagonized with the injection of atipamezole (Antisedan), allowing the time for ketamine to take off the effect.

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A new born North American Porcupine had to be weighed and the sex determined. In this species is considered to be safer for the vet if the new born is handled in the first day of life, considering that its quills are soft and get harden in next few hours. Even the baby porcupine had only one day of age, the leader gloves which he was handled were filled with the quills and one vet even got stung by one. The newborn was a female and weigh  500 g.

Ovidiu