The potential surgical interventions available to the clinician for deer are severely limited due to difficulties in handling, restraint and aftercare. Any planned surgical intervention should be focussed on minimising the necessity of aftercare. Practical considerations around handling facilities and the use of pre-existing hospital facilities should be very carefully considered. Whilst a repurposed small animal or surgical theatre may be available, care should be taken to plan for eventualities such as unexpected recovery from general anaesthetic and risks should be mitigated.

Reindeer may be approached in a manner similar to other domestic small ruminants, although they present unique anaesthetic challenges (Monticelli et al. 2017).

Readers are directed to Chapter 34: Cervine Formulary for information about medicines options.

When planning and undertaking surgery on deer outside of a heavily controlled environment, primary consideration should be made for the aftercare of the animal (see also Chapter 9 on Rehabilitation). In farmed systems, the presence of a handling system facilitates further surgical follow-up if required, although due to the fractious nature of deer and their propensity to stress, isolation and attempts at limiting exercise should generally be avoided. The use of non-absorbable materials or those that require removal should be avoided unless the intention is for those to be permanent fixations. Monitoring of animals following surgical intervention is likely to be remote; therefore, actions such as extending clip patches for ease of observation and marking of animals for easy visual identification should be taken.

When considering analgesics (including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]) and antimicrobial regimes for aftercare following surgery, choices should be tailored for the duration of action as well as the spectrum of activity. Long-acting antimicrobial formulations should be considered in cases where post-operative infections are a risk. The use of topical insecticides such as deltamethrin should also be used at appropriate times of the year to assist in the prevention of infection or myiasis.

Surgical techniques used in deer are similar to those in other livestock species, although surgical interventions are rarely necessary due primarily to the resilience of deer, difficulty in handling specific individuals and relative value compared to the cost of intervention.

Dystocia in deer is generally corrected by manual repositioning or culling on welfare grounds (especially where manual intervention is not possible). It can be associated with over-conditioned deer. Deer are able to deliver live offspring after protracted parturition of over 12 hours, even without intervention.

Notable differences between deer and other ruminant species are primarily related to their antlers and musculoskeletal systems. Deer have a remarkable ability to heal fractured bones without intervention. Multiple reports exist of seemingly normal deer being culled and postmortem findings being consistent with resolved fractures of all four limbs. Where possible, analgesic regimens should be employed, such as administration of long-acting NSAIDs. The approach to casting and stabilisation of fractures in neonates and juveniles in deer is similar to other species; however, care should be taken when applying casts to older animals due to the stress of that individual following cast application. Casts are generally well tolerated in juveniles. Deer with open fractures should be culled.

Vasectomy is performed on deer for the purposes of sterilisation of males. This method of sterilisation has no effect on the antler cycle or rutting behaviour due to the testicular tissue responsible for testosterone production being left in place. Vasectomies are performed for population control where culling is not desired, or where particular individual animals are to be kept while their genetic input to the breeding herd is not desired (Green 2022).

The technique for vasectomy in deer is similar to that in other ruminants. Males should be anaesthetised for the safest surgical access to the spermatic cord. The male can be placed in a ‘sitting’ position with the spine vertical or can be positioned in dorsal recumbency. When sat, the head may be positioned down to the side to allow salivary drainage whilst in this position. Hind legs should be adequately secured to minimise the risk of kicking and tied with ropes.

Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel

Join