1University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; 2Sea World of Florida, Orlando, Florida; 3Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
Manatee regularly present to facilities such as Sea World of Orlando for rehabilitation and occasionally require anesthesia for diagnostic and surgical procedures. The following characterizes our experience with six anesthetic episodes in five adult Florida manatees. Five adult Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus) weighing 591.5 ± 64.3 kg (mean ± SEM) undergoing six anesthetic episodes for procedures including dystocia (n=2), abdominal exploratory (n=1), wound exploration (n=2) and thoracoscopy (n=1) were sedated with midazolam 0.080 ± 0.007 mg/kg IM. An interval of 84.7 ± 29.4 minutes passed before initiating induction with isoflurane by mask. Nasotracheal intubation with an 11-12 mm ID cuffed endotracheal tube was assisted by a fiberoptic intubation endoscope. Subjects were placed in sternal (n=3) or dorsal (n=3) recumbency, and peripheral vascular cannulation was performed (n=1). Intermittent positive pressure ventilation was performed with a large animal ventilator and adjusted in an attempt to maintain end-tidal CO2 at 40 mmHg. Depth of anesthesia was assessed by subjective signs (palpebral reflex; movement) and limited objective signs (heart rate, spontaneous ventilation). End-tidal isoflurane concentration was monitored in three cases (maximum 1.73 ± 0.12%). Temperature, ECG, reflectance pulse oximetry and blood gas tensions were monitored where possible. Heart rates ranged from a low of 48.0 ± 3.4 to a high of 66.5 ± 5.1 beats/minute. Recoveries were slow, but uneventful. Midazolam provided adequate sedation of sufficient duration for mask induction of anesthesia using isoflurane. Isoflurane appears to be an acceptable maintenance anesthetic agent for Florida manatee.
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