Protocolo anestésico em guaxinim submetido à colocefalectomia / Anesthesic protocol in a raccoon submitted to colocephalectomy

Em guaxinins, comumente se observa a presença de osteoartrites acometendo a articulação coxofemoral. Em carnívoros domésticos, o tratamento pode ser conservativo ou cirúrgico e, dentre as técnicas cirúrgicas, cita-se a colocefalectomia. Por ser um procedimento que provoca dor moderada a severa, um protocolo de anestesia balanceada se faz necessário, podendo associar a técnicas de bloqueio locorregional, como a epidural. Protocolos descritos para a espécie são limitados, porém comumente empregados para contenções químicas, avaliações físicas e exames de imagem. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho é relatar a o protocolo anestésico realizado em guaxinim (Procyon cancrivorus) submetido à colocefalectomia. Foram utilizados dexmedetomidina (5µg/kg), cetamina (5mg/kg) e diazepam (0,3mg/kg) por via intramuscular como medicação pré-anestésica, indução com propofol e manutenção por anestesia inalatória com isoflurano. Para execução da anestesia epidural, realizou-se uma abordagem na região lombossacral, sendo administrados bupivacaína (1mg/kg) e morfina (0,1mg/kg). Não houve intercorrências e os parâmetros fisiológicos mantiveram-se estáveis. Descartou-se a necessidade de resgate analgésico e a recuperação anestésica foi rápida. Dessa forma, conclui-se que o manejo anestésico proposto promoveu estabilidade hemodinâmica e recuperação satisfatórias para a espécie.

In raccoons, the presence of osteoarthritis affecting the hip joint is commonly observed. In domestic carnivores, the treatment can be conservative or surgical and, among the surgical techniques, colocephalectomy is mentioned. Since it is a procedure that causes moderate to severe pain, a balanced anesthesia protocol is necessary, which can be associated with locoregional block techniques such as the epidural. Protocols described for the species are limited, being commonly used for chemical restraints, physical assessments, and imaging exams. Therefore, this work aims to report the anesthetic protocol performed on a raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) submitted to colocephalectomy. Dexmedetomidine (5µg/kg), ketamine (5mg/kg), and diazepam (0.3mg/kg) were used intramuscularly as pre-anesthetic medication, in addition to induction with propofol, and the maintenance by inhalational anesthesia with isoflurane. For epidural anesthesia, an approach was performed in the lumbosacral region, with the administration of bupivacaine (1mg/kg) and morphine (0.1mg/kg). There were no complications and the physiological parameters remained stable. The need for analgesic rescue was ruled out and the anesthetic recovery was fast. Thus, it is concluded that the proposed anesthetic management promoted hemodynamic stability and a satisfactory recovery for the species.

Molecular evidence of Babesia species in Procyon cancrivorus (Carnivora, Procyonidae) in Uruguay.

The crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) is a carnivore widely distributed from southern Central America to all South American countries except Chile. In the Southern cone of America, P. cancrivorus has been found parasitized by several Amblyomma spp. Particularly, in Uruguay, A. aureolatum is the only tick found in this wild carnivore. Piroplasmid hemoparasites were found in Procyon lotor from North America and Japan. In this work, molecular evidence Babesia sp. DNA was found in blood and tissues from road-killed P. cancrivorus from different locations in Uruguay. PCRs targeting 18S rRNA gene were carried out. Subsequently, the obtained amplicons were sequenced and full-length sequences was assembled. A phylogenetic tree was constructed and revealed that the Babesia sp. found in this work clustered with other 18sRNA sequences of Babesia spp. obtained from P. lotor from Japan and USA, along with Babesia spp. of maned wolf and I. ovatus. This is the first report of molecular evidence of Babesia sp. parasitizing P. cancrivorus.

Enriquecimento ambiental para Guaxinim, Procyon cancrivorus (Cuvier, 1798) / Environmental enrichment to crab-eating Raccoon, Procyon cancrivorus (Cuvier, 1798)

O cativeiro pode ter implicações significativas no padrão comportamental de um animal. As técnicas de enriquecimento ambiental podem melhorar a qualidade de vida dos animais cativos pelo fornecimento de itens que estimulam a exibição de comportamentos naturais e redução dos anormais. Técnicas de enriquecimento ambiental foram aplicadas em um exemplar de Guaxinim (Procyon cancrivorus), mantido no Zoológico Municipal Parque Jacarandá de Uberaba-MG, com o intuito promover o bem-estar do animal. Para a observação comportamental, foi adotado o método Animal Focal com intervalo, antes e durante o enriquecimento. As técnicas escolhidas de enriquecimento ambiental foram: ambiental, alimentar e sensorial. Os resultados mostraram mudanças no repertório comportamental quando comparadas as duas etapas do trabalho. As técnicas de enriquecimento ambiental mostraram-se adequadas na exibição de comportamentos típicos da espécie, sinalizando a redução de estresse e aumento de qualidade de vida deste exemplar mantido em cativeiro. A utilização do enriquecimento ambiental também contribuiu no aumento de interesse dos visitantes em relação à espécie.

The captivity may have significant implications on the behavior of an animal. The environmental enrichment techniques can improve the quality of life of captive animals by providing items that stimulate the display of natural behaviors and reducing abnormal ones. Environmental enrichment techniques were applied to a captive individual of crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus), kept in the Zoológico Municipal Parque Jacarandá Uberaba-MG, in order to promote the animal welfare. We adopted the focal sampling method with interval, before and during the application of enrichment techniques. The environmental enrichment techniques used were: environmental, food and sensory. The results showed changes on the behavioral repertoire if compared the two stages of work. The environmental enrichment techniques have proved to be adequate on the promotion of species typical behaviors, indicating the reduction of stress and the increase of quality of life of this specimen kept in captivity. The use of environmental enrichment also contributed to the increasing interest of visitors in relation to species.