J Zoo Wildlife Med
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The aims of this study were to determine if a propofol constant rate infusion (CRI) in Speke's gazelle, Gazella spekei, would serve as an effective alternative maintenance anesthetic, result in shorter recovery times, and improve anesthetic recovery quality when compared with isoflurane. Eight adult gazelle were enrolled in this complete crossover study with a minimum 3-wk washout period. All gazelle were induced with 10 mg/kg intravenous propofol and maintained with either propofol CRI (0.4 mg/kg/min) or isoflurane (1-3%) for 45 min. ⋯ Recovery times were comparable between propofol and isoflurane treatments. While individuals receiving propofol had higher residual ataxia scores compared with individuals receiving isoflurane, differences were not clinically important. This study demonstrated that propofol CRI (0.4 mg/kg/min) is an effective maintenance anesthetic agent in healthy adult Speke's gazelle for noninvasive procedures with endotracheal intubation and intermittent positive pressure ventilation.