Ben Potgieter [8:08 am, 08/06/2022]: Morning. A question on walking buffalo. How do you get them up when you missed the sweet spot just as they go down? Say for example it's been down for 10 minutes? butorphanol vs Antisedan? what ratio to start off with? Which of the 3 drugs do you reduce, or all 3 of the HH/low opioid regime Hendrik Hansen [9:43 am, 08/06/2022]: Ben, my protocol on buffalo has changed and that gives you more time to prod and walk them, although the downtime remains the same. Adult bull : Thianil 0.5 mg + medetomidine 4-6 + azaperone 30-40 mg. Adult cow : Thianil 0. 5 mg+ medetomidine 4-5 mg + azaperone 30-40 mg. I use these for all buffalo immobilisations in a boma and from a chopper Some important points: They will walk into a crate or truck before going down If they are down before you get there, use a cattle prodder judiciously (you have a longer time for using prodder with success to get them up) If they are down for too long, and do not respond to the prodder - Give 5mg butorphanol iv, wait 5 mins and prod. Repeat if needed. NB DO NOT CLOSE EYES while walking Ben Potgieter [11:08 am, 08/06/2022] Thanks Hendrik. I will try it next time. I loaded 7 this morning with a ramp onto truck. I used Thianil 1mg + medetomidine 3 mg + azaperone 20 mg. It worked OK, but the problem is when there is more than 2 or 3 in an enclosure. Hendrik Hansen [11:01 pm, 08/06/2022]: Ben, I loaded these 14 Buffalo bulls between 3.5 and 7 years old today, all in one boma. All received Thianil 0.5 mg + medetomidine 4 mg + azaperone 30 mg. All went down between 7 and 12 mins and we could walk all of them, even after being down for 30 mins to an hour. The ones not loaded by 90 mins started waking up and needed some top-up. All of the ones loaded by TLB were without any top-up, but they could also be walked closer to the trucks. Hendrik Hansen [11:03 pm, 08/06/2022]: 6-12 mins after darted Botes Burger [11:06 pm, 08/06/2022]: Hendrik, any concern regarding respiration or regurgitation on the 3.5yr olds? Hendrik Hansen [11:09 pm, 08/06/2022]: No Botes. Today the animals were without water for 18 hours, but very seldom a concern with regurgitation or bloat . Respiration at that low dose opioid is very stable. Botes Burger [11:13 pm, 08/06/2022: 👍🏻 Water withheld on purpose for the darting? Great job, again! Thank you for sharing! Hendrik Hansen [11:13 pm, 08/06/2022]: Yes
