HO Reuter, [28 Jun 2022 at 09:42:32]: Good morning! I need some advice on treatment / management / prognosis of a white rhino bull, estimated 10-12 years old. He was the only remaining rhino on a farm where the rest of the rhino were poached. At capture and the days before, he was very skittish, running all over the farm. He was released on a large reserve >20000 ha. For a week post-release he was not seen, but then picked up on trail camera and observed far away from release site with some superficial injuries, esp. on head, probably from being pushed away by a resident bull. He had lost his right eye and has corneal opacity and conjunctivitis on the left eye, possibly from running through thorny bush thicket or fighting? All four his feet had open wounds on the soles and or toes from rocky terrain. He had lost condition. I darted him (etorphine 2mg, medetomidine 10 mg, azaperone 20 mg and treated with Excede, Draxxin in conjunctiva, and empty eye socket, Terracortril eye ointment, 50 ml Kyroligo, 50 ml BCobolic, 100 ml Excede, topical antibiotic treatment of feet and all superficial wounds. We put him in a boma. (This bull had previously been in a boma and used to feeding on lucerne.) I also gave 50 mg water-based perphenazine (WBP) in the boma and only reversed with diprenorphine. He seems quite listless and lethargic most of the time (obviously also in pain from his feet and impaired vision). His appetite is poor, 1/4-1/2 bale lucerne / day at most, hardly touches grass, molasses, and mainly just pushes feed around. I had collected blood and serum with following significant lab results only received this morning. Haematology results are all within normal parameters. Significant chemistry with elevated: S-total CK 3341 IU/L, S-AST 204 IU/L, S-ALT 37 IU/L, S-Urea 4.1 mmol/L, creatinine within normal range 161. The massive CK value is worrying to me. Capture myopathy?? with limited treatment options? To allow his feet, conjunctivitis on remaining eye to heal, I would like to keep him in the boma for much longer. Alternatively, there is a smallish camp 40 ha around the boma, if releasing him there will improve appetite, limit continues stress? Any advice on treatment, management will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!! Erik Verrynne, [28 Jun 2022 at 10:06:41]: Hi HO. That bull is much more stressed and traumatised than it appears. His behavioural patterns and related injuries are indicative of that. The high ALT can indicate gastric ulcers and it may be good treating him with oral omeprazole as well. Apart from your medical treatment, stress management is important. I would release him in the small camp. They do much better with a bit of space, but I would also consider bringing in a young heifer as company. Henry Labuschagne, [28 Jun 2022 at 10:44:39]: I agree to release in camp. High CK = exertional rhabdomyolysis. I would add Vit E Se to Rx.
