Search the Article Database:

Search our library of articles, papers and other published materials. You can use keywords or boolean-style search:

Taking African Wildlife Veterinary Medicine To New Heights

Have you ever darted a giraffe from a helicopter or moved a sable antelope? Have you fitted a satellite tracking device to an elephant or a gemsbok? And have you done all of this in a single day? Eight young African wildlife veterinarians who recently participated in a 10-day hands-on training course would answer with a resounding YES! During a highly interactive time in the field at the Etosha Heights Private Reserve, these young veterinarians worked hand-in-hand with several highly

View Details + Download

A retrospective survey of neoplasia in managed giraffe (giraffa camelopardalis)

Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) are commonly managed in zoos and conservation programs worldwide, but the current understanding of the occurrence and progression of neoplastic disease in this species is limited by the scarcity of published reports. This study collated documented cases of neoplasia on the basis of gross and histologic evaluation of ante- and postmortem samples. In total, 30 giraffes from 22 institutions across the United States were included. Subspecies was not reported in all cases, but those identified included Masai

View Details + Download

Copper oxide wire particles used to control Haemonchus infections: efficacy in giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) at Busch Gardens Tampa and potential mechanism of action

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections affect production systems and exotic hoofstock in zoos, particularly giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Anthelmintic resistance (AR) prevalence is increasing in production systems and zoos. To combat the AR that compounds GIN problems, alternative control methods are used. One such alternative is copper oxide wire particles (COWP), which control the abomasal nematode Haemonchus contortus. COWP was given to seven adult giraffe at Busch Gardens Tampa, at descending dosages: 25 g, 12.5 g, 6.3 g. Treatment administration time was

View Details + Download

Quantitative Macroscopic Anatomy of the Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) Digestive Tract

Quantitative data on digestive anatomy of the world’s largest ruminant, the giraffe, are scarce. Data were collected from a total of 25 wild-caught and 13 zoo-housed giraffes. Anatomical measures were quantified by dimension, area or weight and analysed by allometric regression. The majority of measures scaled positively and isometrically to body mass. Giraffes had lower tissue weight of all stomach compartments and longer large intestinal length than cattle. When compared to other ruminants, the giraffe digestive tract showed many of

View Details + Download

Exotic hoof stock Anesthesia and Analgesia: Best Practices

Veterinary care of non-domestic hoof stock has become more common practice through the integration of veterinary medicine in state and federal natural resource management programs, zoological collections, exotic animal ranching expansion, and hobby collections of exotics. Likewise, veterinarians are expected to have the knowledge and capability to safely anesthetize and handle these animals. Anesthesia of exotic hoof stock requires the knowledge of not only the pharmacology of the drugs used but also the variation in dose response among families, genera, species,

View Details + Download

Hematology and Serum Chemistry Profiles for Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis): Variations with Sex, Age, and Restraint

Hematology and serum chemistry profiles for giraffes are presented. Values for 39 blood samples, collected from 14 giraffes, were analyzed and evaluated for variations relating to differences in sex, age, and restraint mode. Sex-specific variations were found in WBC and neutrophil numbers, total protein, and alkaline phosphatase concentrations. Age-specific variations were found in hematocrit, hemoglobin, erythrocytes, banded neutrophil and basophil numbers, and in calcium, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and creatinine concentrations. Variations relating to differences in

View Details + Download

Interspecies allometric scaling: prediction of clearance in large animal species: Part II: mathematical considerations

Interspecies scaling is a useful tool for the prediction of pharmacokinetic parameters from animals to humans, and it is often used for estimating a first-time in human dose. However, it is important to appreciate the mathematical underpinnings of this scaling procedure when using it to predict pharmacokinetic parameter values across animal species. When cautiously applied, allometry can be a tool for estimating clearance in veterinary species for the purpose of dosage selection. It is particularly valuable during the selection of

View Details + Download

How a Tiny Worm is Irritating the Most Majestic of Giraffes

What is a fly to a giraffe? It’s difficult to imagine a single insect even coming to the attention of these peculiar animals, which weigh in at thousands of pounds and routinely stretch their necks to heights of more than 14 feet. In Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park, however, Michael B. Brown, a wildlife conservation researcher, has noticed something that might be harder to ignore: Whole clouds of insects swarming around the necks of these quadrupedal giants. Under ordinary circumstances,

View Details + Download