wallace et 1992. problems assoc with hr telem implants dbc (36)

8/14/2019 Wallace Et 1992. Problems Assoc With Hr Telem Implants DBC (36)

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PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH HEART RATE TELEMETRY IMPLANTS

MARK C. WALLACE, PAUL R. KRAUSMAN,DONALDW. DEYOUNG, AND MARA E. WEISENBERGER

Reprinted from DESERTBIGHORNCOUNCIL TRANsAcnONSVol. 36, 1992Made in United States ofAmerica.~.


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Reprinted from DESERTIGHORN OUNCIL RANSAcnONSVol. 36, 1992Made in United States of Atnerica

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED METHODS.e used captive and semi-free ranging anImals 10 this study. CaptiveWITH HEART RA TE mountain sheep (n = 5) and desert mule deer (n = 6) were held at the

University of Arizona Wildlife Research Center, Tucson. All animalTELEMETRY IMPLANTS care and treatment followed guidelines established by the AmericanSociety of Mammalogists (1987). Captive animals were not tame. Theirintractability necessitated mmobilization for capture or treatment andoften limited prophylactic treatments. We used free ranging mountainWallace' sheep aptured in 1990 (n = 3)and 1991 (n = 5) from the SheepRange,School of Renewable Natural Resources Nevada and released them into a 3.2 km2 enclosure in the Desert Na-University of Arizona tional Wildlife Refuge, Nevada. These animals were not recaptured.AZ 8572) Heart rate (model ECG-2) and temperature transmitters (model TTE-Ig; J. Stuart Enterprises, Oceanside, Calif.) were calibrated and checkedPaul R. Krausman before use (Jacobsen and Stuart 1978, Jacobsen et al. 1981). Trans-School of Renewable Natural Resources mitters were sewn nto a nylon mesh abric and sterilized with ethylene-University of Arizona oxide and placed in an aerator 2:12 hours prior to surgery.Tucson, AZ 85721 We immobilized captive animals between March 1990 and February1991 with ketamine hydrochloride (HCL) and xylazine HCL (Del-Donald W. DeYoung Giudice et al. 1989). We monitored respiration and general conditionUniversity Animal Care of immobilized animals was monitored during transport to the Uni-University of Arizona versity of Arizona Animal Care surgical lab where anesthesia was in-Arizona Health Sciences Center duced or deepened with halothane by face mask nduction. Mean timeTucson, AZ 85724 from restraint to halothane induction under veterinary care was 22 :t

8 minutes. While the animal was under anesthesia we used an electro-Mara E. Weisenberger2 cardiogram to continuously monitor heart rates for arythmia and toSchool of Renewable Natural Resources check HR accuracy. Animals were endotracheally intubated and theUniversity of Arizona hair from the ventral abdomen and right thorax was clipped. The ex-Tucson, AZ 85721 posed areaswere scrubbed with alcohol and povidine-iodine antiseptic.We modified surgical.procedures from those previously described (Ja-Recent concerns about environmental noise and its effects on wildlife cobsen et al. 1981, Bunch et al. 1989). A 9-cm ventral midline incisionhave prompted activity in 2 different spheresof research: he intentional was made through the skin and body wall. Transmitters that were sur-influences on pest species Bomford and O'Brien 1990)and the possible rounded by fabric were sutured immediately caudal to the sternum toeffects of physiological or psychological stress o species nadvertently the ventro-lateral body wall with 0 polypropylene. Teflon coated-stain-caused by human activities (Fletcher and Busnel 1978, Borg 1981, less steel eads from HR transmitters exited the body cavity through aFletcher 1988). Noise is effective as a short term deterrent to pestspecies separate stab incision through the skin adjacent to the initial mid-linebut is most effective when it resembles natural alarm calls made by the incision. Stab ncisions were made at the mid-point of the sternum andspecies Bomford and O'Brien 1990). Stress s considered a body's non- two-thirds of the dorsal distance along the tenth or eleventh right ribspecific response o an insult, such as noise (Sapolsky 1990). Difficulties (Cassirer et al. 1988, Bunch et al. 1989). Sub-cutaneousdissections weremeasuring stress in wild populations led researchers o remote sensing made from the stab incisions to the mid-line incision with a 71.1-cmtechniques that reduce he animals response o the observers hemselves. trocar. Transmitter leads were passed hrough the trocar to the sternumHeart rate is a descriptive measure of animals response o disturbances (reference lead) and right lateral thorax (measurement lead) and were(Ward and Cupa11979, MacArthuret al. 1982). MacArthuret al. (1979) attached with 0 polypropylene sutures. Initially, we sutured the leadsfound telemetered heart rates of mountain sheepwere related to activity but found that sutured leads contributed to lead failure. Upon discoveryand the degree of transient stimuli animals experienced. Harlow et al. we ooped stainless steel suture in, out, and around the end of the lead.(1987) documented a linear relationship between heart rate and blood Incisions in the body wall were closed with 0 polygiactin absorbablecortisol levels in domestic sheepand suggested hat remote monitoring sutures and skin incisions were closed with 0 polypropylene or nylonof cardiac frequency was a potential gaugeof an animal's physiological sutures. All animals were intra-muscularly (1M) provided a long-actingcondition under stress. penicillin. Halothane anesthesiawas terminated and animals were trans-Our objectives were to document the distance that signals from RT ported back to study pens where yohimbine HCL was administeredand T transmitters could be received, the causesof transmitter failures, intravenously (IV) to reverse the effects of the xylazine immobilizationand to describe he modifications we made to protocols used o implant (Mech et al. 1985)."heart rate and temperature transmitters into mountain sheepand desert Wild mountain sheepwere captured in 1990 (n = 14, 3 of which weremule deer (Bunch et al. 1989). selected or surgical implants) and 1991 (n = 5) with helicopter and net

We acknowledge the support and assistanceprovided by the Nevada gun from the Sheep Range, Nevada. In 1990, sheepwere immobilizedDepartment of Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the as above after helicopter net-capture and transported 258 km to theSurgery and Clinical Services Section of the University veterinary clinical facility at Nellis Air Force Base,Las Vegas, or trans-of Arizona's University Animal Care. We thank S. Cameron, and V. mitterimplantation and then returned to the releasesite. In 1991, sheepPatula who assisted with surgery and care of captive animals and C. were not immobilized, but were transported via helicopter to a field Hayes for observations of wild mountain sheep. Dr. O. E. Maughan surgical station 14.5 km from the release site. Anesthesia was admin-was instrumental in project administration. This study was supported istered and surgerydone in the field surgery station established in 1991.by the U.S. Air Force, Noise and Sonic Boom Technology Program, After transmitter implantation mountain sheepwere released nto a 3.2and the University of Arizona. km2 enclosure in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada.Surgical acilities at the University of Arizona Health SciencesAnimalCare Center included a pre-surgery preparation room and sterile op-I Present address: Department of Natural Resources Sciences,Uni- erating theater. Surgery in 1990 for animals captured in Nevada wasversity of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881. performed at the Nellis Air Force Base Veterinary clinical facility. In2 Presentaddress: SanAndreas National Wildlife Refuge,Las Cruces, 1991, field surgery was conducted near the release site in the refugeNM 88004. office area and garage workshop. The office was used as the surgeons

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52 HF:ART RATE IMPLANTS. Wallace et a/.

Table 1. Animal mortalities associated with a study nvolving surgical implantation of heart rate and temperature ransmitters in mountain sheep nddesert mule deer, 1990-91. Phase animals were semi-tame mountain sheep nd desert mule deer held at the University of Arizona Wildlife ResearchCenter. Tucson,betweenJan 1990 and Dec 1991. Phase I animals were wild mountain sheep aptured rom The SheepRange, Nevada,and held in a3.2 km' enclosure,Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada,between May 1990 and May 1992.

Mortali- No. daysSpecies Sex ty date in study Probable cause of mortality"Phase IMountain sheep M 14 Aug 1990 118 Died after accidentally breaking leg in fence in Tuc-

sonMountain sheep F 29 Mar 1991 354 Died from peritonitis, from prolonged exposure ofopen incisionMountain sheep M 6 Sep 1991 526 Found moribund after termination of study. Diedbecause of long-term kidney failureMule deer M 28 May 1991 153 Asphyxiated on rumen contents during transport af-ter immobilizationPhase IIMountain sheep F I May 1990 0 Died during transport to Nellis Air Force Base(NAFB) veterinary labMountain sheep M I May 1990 0 Died after surgery and transport to and from NAFBveterinary labMountain sheep F 7 Jun 1991


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DESERT BIGHORN COUNCIL 1992 TRANSACTIONS 53

after xylazine reversal f needed o speedup heart rate (Booth and temperature nd heart atemonitoring n desert ighorn heep.DesertMcDonald 1988). BighornCounc.Trans. 33:1-5.Modificationsweremade n handlingprotocols hat wereeffective n Cassirer,E. F., V. B. Kuechle,and T. J. Kreeger. 1988. Optimumspeeding ecovery rom immobilization and anesthesia. he most ef placement of electrodesor heart ate elemetry.Biotelemetry 0:311-fectivecombinationwe oundwas V administrationof yohimbineHCL 316.(x = 0.23 mg/kg)mmediately fter nductionby halothaneo counteract DelGiudice,G. D., P. R. Krausman,E. S. Bellantoni,R. C. Etchberger,the xylazine.We administereddoxapramHCL (x = 2.42 mg/kg) IV) and U. S. Seal. 1989. Reversal y tolazolinehydrochlorideofxy- asa respiratorystimulant o help eliminatehalothane McGuirk et al. lazinehydrochloride-ketamineydrochloridemmobilizations n free-1990) nd naloxoneHCL (x = 0.44 mg/kg) s a narcotic eversal gent rangingdesertmule deer.J. Wildl. Dis. 25:347-352.(Boothand McDonald 1988)upon elease.Maloxonewas given even Fletcher, . L. 1988. Reviewof noise and terrestrialspecies:1983-no narcoticswereusedbecause vidence uggestshat ketamine 1988.Special ources nd ssues.Proc. 5th Int. Congr.on Noiseas aHCL may act on the sameopiate receptor ites Boothand McDonald Public Health Hazard,Stockholm: SwedishCounc. for Buil. Res.1988). 2:181-183.Early ailuresofHR transmitters ue o leadbreakage erecorrected -, and R. G. Busnel, ds. 1978. Effectsof noise on wildlife. Ac-modifying he surgicalechniqueafter Bunchet al. (1989).Reference ademicPress,NewYork, N. Y. 305pp.and measurementeadswere not sutured n place but, were wrapped Harlow, H. J., E. T. Thorne,E. S. Williams,E. L. Belden, nd W. A.with additional stainless teelsutureand left unfastenedn situ before Gem. 1987. Cardiac requency: potential predictorof blood cor-suturing he ncision.Failuresdue o fluids seepinghrough he paraffin- tisollevels duringacuteand chronicstress xposuren Rocky Moun-elvax encapsulant ere not remedied uring his study.Promisingnew tain bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis anadensis). an. J. Zool. 65:transmitterencapsulants,hat shouldsolve his problem,are currently 2028-2034.being ested Telonics nc. Mesa,Ariz.). Maximum battery ife for the Jacobsen, . K., and J. L. Stuart. 1978. Telemetered eart rate astransmitters sed n this study s not yetknown. However, HR trans- indicesof physiological nd behavioral tatusof deer.Pages 48-255mitters are still working after 328 and 456 days, espectively. ignals In PECORA V: Applicationof remotesensing ata o wildlife man-from the I temperature ransmitter still implanted became oo inter- agement. at. Wildl. Fed.,Sci.and Tech.Ser. 3, SouixFalls,S. Dak.mittent for accurateuse after 310 days. We do not know why this -, J. L. Stuart,andC. J. Sedgwick. 1981. A scanning r contin-transmitter ailed becausehis semi-freemountainsheep as not been uousmicro-processorontrolledevent ecorder or telemetry tudies.recaptured. Int. Conf. on Wildl. Biotelemetry :58-68.Sterile surgical rocedures re essentialo successfulse of this new MacArthur,R. A., R. H. Johnston, nd V. Geist. 1979. Factors nflu-technology.Our modified surgicalprotocolsworked well. Heart rate encingheart ate in free-ranging ighornsheep:a physiological p-data canbe collectedunder ieldconditions.However, ransmitters till proach o the study of wildlife harassment. an. J. Zool. 57:2010-failed because f encapsulanteakage. 2021.LITERATURE CITED -, V. Geist,and ~. H. Johnston. 19.82.Cardiacan~ behavioralresponsesf mountaIn heepo humandisturbance. . Wlldl. Manage.AmericanSocietyof Mammalogists. 1987. Acceptableield methods 46:351-358.in mammalogy:preliminary guidelinesapproved by the American McGuirk,S. M., R. M. Bednarski, ndM. K. Clayton. 1990. Bradycar-Societyof Mammalogists. . Mammal. 65:4,Suppl. 18pp. dia in cattledeprivedof food. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc.196:894-896.Bomford, M., and P. H. O'Brien. 1990. Sonic deterrents n animal Mech,L. D., G. D. DelGiudice,P. D. Karns,and U. S. Seal. 1985.damage ontrol:a reviewof device estsandeffectiveness. ildl. Soc. Yohimbinehydrochloride san antagonisto xylazinehydrochloride-Bull. 18:411-422. ketamine ydrochloridemmobilizationof white-tailed eer. . Wildl.Booth, N. H., and L. E. McDonald,eds. 1988. Veterinarypharma- Dis.21:405-410.cologyand therapeutics.Sixth ed. Iowa State Univ. Press,Ames. Sapolsky, . M. 1990. Stress n the wild. Sci. Am. 1990: 16-123.I 227pp. Ward,A. L., and J. J. Cupal. 1979. Telemetered eart ateof threeelkBorg, E. 1981. Physiological nd pathogenic ffectsof sound. Acta as affectedby activity and humandisturbance.Pages 7-56 In Dis-Oto-Laryngol.Suppl.381:1-68. persedecreationnd natural esources anagement. tahStateUniv.,Bunch,T. D., G. W. Workman,and R. J. Callan. 1989. Remotebody Logan..

wallace et 1992. problems assoc with hr telem implants dbc (36)

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