Evaluation Of The Immobilization Efficacy When Using Butorphanol/Azaperone/Medetomidine (BAM) versus Telazol/Xylazine (T/X) As Clinical Anesthesia For Semen Collection In Whitetail Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

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Conducted: December, 2015 – February, 2016 Location: Apple Creek Ranch, Gillett, Wisconsin Investigators: Stephen Kirschner, MSc, Ryan Rodenkirch, BS Study Director: William R. Lance, DVM, MS, PhD, DACZM

This study was designed to evaluate the quality of anesthesia produced by a combination of

butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM), as compared to tiletamine /zolazepam HClxylazine [T/X]. Key physiological parameters and sperm viability criteria were also compared from

electroejaculated sperm samples collected using the two anesthesia combinations described.

Animals: Single treatment group of 10 mature male deer ranging from1-4 years of age.

Experimental Design: Single, two-treatment crossover design protocol with semen collected

from each buck, with a 4-week washout period between collection phases as follows:

• Phase I: The entire group received a single dose of telazol [tiletamine/zolazepam]-xylazine (T/X) for immobilization and when adequately sedated, semen was collected from each test animal through a conventional electroejaculation procedure.

• Phase II: Following a 30-day washout period to allow for adequate spermatogenesis, the entire test group received a single dose of butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM) for immobilization and semen collection procedure as conducted in Phase I.

A total of 11 reproductive parameters for sperm were quantified during the study. Assessments included: total seminal volume; sperm concentration; total sperm number; % of progressively motile sperm; and total number of viable sperm. In addition, sperm motion and velocity parameters including curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP), linearity (LIN=VSL/VCL), and straightness (STR=VSL/VAP) were evaluated on all semen samples using computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA).

Analysis of Anesthesia Efficacy

Comparative results observed between these two anesthetic protocols were as follows:

1. Equivalent mean semen volumes were collected when anesthetizing with BAM or T/X.

2. Mean body temperatures recorded under BAM or T/X anesthesia were also statistically equivalent.

3. Significant variations in both pulse rate and respiration rate were observed between the BAM versus T/X collections. a. Recorded mean heart rates (bpm) while under BAM anesthesia were ~10% lower than when collecting following T/X immobilization. b. Respiration measurement under BAM anesthesia generated mean breaths per minute data ~21% lower than while under T/X

4. Comparison of quantitative reversal times recorded following collection (duration until no-sign-of sedation is observed) was determined to be 3.5 minutes following BAM reversal, as compared to a mean value of 48.3 minutes when recovering from T/X anesthesia

Evaluation of Sperm Quality and Viability

Table below presents key sperm parameters as assessed for each animal collected, comparing BAM to T/X anesthesia immobilizations. Our results show that sperm from test group males immobilized with BAM anesthesia, varied markedly versus T/X-anesthetized collections from the same animals in several of the sperm viability criteria and functional characteristics. In fact, several previously published studies have indicated how variations in collection procedure could lead to changes in the composition of the ejaculate in ruminants, resulting in different structural and functional characteristics affecting affect overall fertility potential. 1,2,3

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