Evaluation of core temperature measurement and treatment of capture-related hyperthermia in anesthetized brown bears (Ursus arctos) ...

• Published in: Frontiers in Physiology
• Main Author: Ozeki, Larissa Mourad
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Graduate Studies 2013
• Subjects: Veterinary Science; hyperthermia; VitalSense; core temperature; brown bears; wildlife; Ursus arctos
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/prism/25984; https://prism.ucalgary.ca/handle/11023/585

The objectives of the present study were to: 1) compare body temperature of anesthetized brown bears obtained by Vital Sense® capsules (VS) inserted gastrically to those obtained by deep rectal VS and handheld digital thermometer (HDT) and 2) to evaluate the decrease in core body temperature produced by an active cooling protocol and by alpha-2 antagonism. Thirty-one brown bears were captured with a combination of zolazepam-tiletamine and xylazine or medetomidine. One VS capsule was inserted deep into the animals’ rectum and another into the stomach. Rectal temperature was also measured with the HDT and paired data points were analyzed with the Bland-Altman technique and regression analysis. In bears that demonstrated gastric temperatures ≥ 40oC a described active cooling protocol was performed and the temperature change was analyzed for 30 minutes. To determine if antagonism of the alpha-2 agonist decreased core body temperature in bears, change in temperature was analyzed for 30 minutes after the ...