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Twenty lesser chevrotains (Tragulus sp.), 10 males and 10 females, were anesthetized with a combination of butorphanol–midazolam–medetomidine (BMidM), to assess the efficacy of this protocol for short procedures in this genus. The animals received BMidM (0.32, 0.06, 0.15 mg/kg, respectively) intramuscularly via hand injection. Physiological variables were recorded once the animals reached a working depth of anesthesia that lasted 30 min (range 12–60 min). At the end of the procedure, medetomidine and butorphanol were antagonized with atipamezole (0.75 mg/kg) and naltrexone (0.3 mg/kg) intramuscularly, respectively. Induction and recovery were 9.4 ± 4.0 min and 10.2 ± 4.1 min, respectively. Supplementation with isoflurane via face mask was required in five animals to reach light anesthesia. Times to reach the various stages of anesthesia were compared between sexes. There was no difference between males and females reaching the different stages of anesthesia, except for the time required to reach the ambulatory stage, in which females took a significantly longer time (11.8 min vs 7.8 min for the males) to stand after the injection of the antagonists (P = 0.02). Heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, and peripheral hemoglobin oxygen saturation were similar between sexes and stable throughout the procedure. At the dosage tested BMidM was a reliable and safe protocol for short, minimally invasive procedures in lesser chevrotains with a fast induction and smooth recovery without complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surveillance and treatment of parasites are important features of preventative healthcare plans in zoological institutes. The parasite control strategies employed in temperate regions often involve prophylactic anthelmintic treatments during seasons where the burden of gastrointestinal parasites in fecal testing is high. These strategies are, however, not applicable in the tropics, where temperatures remain high throughout the year, allowing continuous parasitic development. A risk-based parasite management strategy was adopted by a tropical zoological institute. For parasite surveillance, routine fecal direct smears and magnesium sulfate flotations were performed to determine parasitic prevalence. The frequency of fecal checks for the year was determined by the frequency at which clinically relevant parasitism (fecal tests that resulted in the animal being treated) was detected during routine fecal checks in the previous year. A yearly anthelmintic drug-class rotation schedule was also implemented. The total number of fecal tests performed per year and the number of animals with clinically significant parasitic disease decreased by 30.0% (637/2126) and 46.9% (207/451), respectively, over the four-year period of the study. Anthelmintic class rotation also improved the efficacy of fenbendazole in treating Strongyloides spp. infecting the group of orangutans. This parasite control strategy is a targeted approach to managing preventative healthcare, reducing the work required to perform routine surveillance tests whilst maintaining the health of the collection of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amebiasis caused by Entamoeba invadens is an important disease in reptile collections, causing severe morbidity and mortality. Surveillance of the parasite at the Singapore Zoo was carried out over a 4-yr period by PCR testing on reptiles that presented with lethargy and enteritis for disease investigation. Asymptomatic reptiles sharing the same enclosures as positive individuals were also tested as part of outbreak investigation. Animals in the collection that tested positive for the parasite were treated with metronidazole at various doses, with the addition of paromomycin for two cases, until a negative PCR test result was obtained at the end of the treatment course. A total of 97 samples from 49 individuals across 19 species of reptiles were obtained, of which 24 samples (24.7%) from 19 animals were positive for E. invadens . Of these positive samples, 11 samples were for disease investigation, eight samples for outbreak surveillance, and five samples for treatment monitoring. Treatment was initiated for 10 animals, four of which were showing clinical signs of disease. The parasite was cleared in nine of these 10 animals (90%), with eight animals receiving metronidazole as a sole therapeutic agent. A total of nine animals died of the disease, four of which (44.4%) presented dead or died within 24 h of presentation. Necrotizing enteritis was a consistent postmortem finding resulting in gastrointestinal perforation in two cases, and coelomic adhesions and hepatic trophozoites were each seen in five animals. The results suggest that the management of Entamoeba epizootics in the collection requires prompt outbreak investigation. Diagnosis of the disease with advanced diagnostic tools like PCR, endoscopy, and ultrasonography and treatment with metronidazole in both symptomatic and asymptomatic animals may reduce mortalities during an outbreak.

An outbreak of the nematode Strongyloides sp. occurred in a population of 18 male and 29 female panther chameleons ( Furcifer pardalis ) at the Singapore Zoo. The parasite was first detected in one individual during routine microscopic examination of feces using the direct examination and magnesium sulfate flotation methods. The parasite was later found to have a closest match (98.96%) with Strongyloides sp. Okayama by DNA sequencing. Over a period of 6 mon, 97.9% (46/47) of the panther chameleons tested positive for the parasite, and 25.5% (12/47) of the animals died due to the disease. All the animals that died were female. Of the positive tests, magnesium sulfate flotation identified the parasite 98.1% (105/107) of the time, compared to direct fecal microscopy, which identified the parasite only 43.9% (47/107) of the time. Parasite eggs were detected in 100% (105/105) of the positive magnesium sulfate flotation tests but only 66.0% (31/47) of the positive direct fecal microscopy tests. Parasite larvae were detected in 61.7% (29/47) of the positive direct fecal microscopy tests but only 9.5% (10/105) of the magnesium sulfate flotation tests. Treatments with fenbendazole and pyrantel pamoate at published doses were ineffective at eliminating the parasite. Ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg PO q2wk for two doses) was successful at treating the parasite, with all animals testing negative for the parasite at the end of the treatment course without any observed adverse reactions. However, complete eradication of the parasite could not be achieved, as Strongyloides sp. could still be detected in the population on routine coproscopy intermittently over 3 yr. There were no further mortalities due to the disease with prompt treatment with ivermectin. Strongyloidiasis may cause high morbidity in panther chameleons, but severe disease leading to mortality can be prevented with the use of ivermectin.