Effect of immobilization and anaesthesia on certain haemato-biochemical parameters in asiatic lions (panthera leo persica)

The study was conducted to assess the impact of chemical immobilization and anaesthesia on certain haematological and biochemical parameters in Asiatic lions intended for diagnostic and surgical procedure. The impact of anaesthetic and ancillary drugs was studied in 8 Asiatic and hybrid lions (Panthera leo persica) in 12 trials. In all the trials the lions were immobilized with xylazine and ketamine (1.00 and 2.50 mg/kg BW), induced with intravenous administration of ketamine (2.00 mg/kg) in trial I and propofol (1.00 mg/kg BW) in trial II and both trial I and II lions were maintained with isoflurane at a vaporizer setting of 0.5 to 2.00 in 100 oxygen. The mean haemoglobin and packed cell volume decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in both the trials when compared with the mean of after immobilization. Similarly leucocytosis and neutrophilia with corresponding lympopenia (p < 0.01) was noticed in both the trials after induction, during maintenance and before recovery and the trend simulated the “classical stress leucogram”. The mean blood glucose and blood urea nitrogen level elevated (p < 0.05) in both the trials after induction, during maintenance and before recovery. No statistically significant variations could be observed in serum creatinine, ALT and AST. Though the haemato-biochemical parameters in Asiatic lions immobilized with xylazine-ketamine, induced with ketamine or propofol and maintained with isoflurane varied, it did not have clinical significance as the values remained within the normal clinical level.