Cardiac rhythm disturbances in a bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) during anaesthesia for oral surgery: a case report

A 7-year-old intact male camel (Camelus bactrianus) weighing 972 kg was presented for canine teeth extraction. The clinical examination could not be performed as the animal was aggressive and nondomesticated. The animal was premedicated with 10 µg kg-1 medetomidine and 0.5 mg kg-1 tiletamine-zolazepam intramuscularly. Anaesthesia was induced with 0.04 mg kg-1 diazepam and 1.6 mg kg-1 ketamine intravenously using a catheter placed in a branch of the left femoral vein. One hour after induction of anaesthesia, the electrocardiogram trace showed multiple monomorphic ventricular premature complexes, defined as ventricular tachycardia. A bolus of 0.4 mg kg-1 lidocaine was injected followed by a constant rate infusion of 2 mg kg-1 h-1 . Sinus rhythm was restored (within 30 minutes) after a second 0.4 mg kg-1 bolus of lidocaine, and the procedure completed without further complications. Total anaesthesia time was 90 minutes. The camel recovered uneventfully.