Use of epidural anaesthesia as analgesic management in an asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica)

Abstract

A 10-year-old lioness (Panthera leo persica), weighing 130 kg, was referred from Madrid Zoo to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Complutense University of Madrid for evaluation of a lumbar soft tissue mass, previously diagnosed by biopsy as a chondrosarcoma, with potential surgical excision planned. A coordinated safety protocol was established between zoo and hospital staff, including predefined emergency routes and continuous supervision by experienced personnel and animal keepers. Anaesthetic premedication included intramuscular medetomidine (0.05 mg kg⁻¹) and ketamine (3 mg kg⁻¹), followed by propofol induction (1.2 mg kg⁻¹ IV) and maintenance with isoflurane in oxygen. Mechanical ventilation and comprehensive monitoring (ECG, non-invasive blood pressure, pulse oximetry, capnography, oesophageal temperature) were used. After computed tomography evaluation, the lion was elected for the chondrosarcoma surgical excision. Perioperative analgesia included intravenous methadone (0.1 mg kg⁻¹) and a sacrococcygeal epidural block with bupivacaine (0.3 mg kg⁻¹) and morphine (0.1 mg kg⁻¹). This epidural technique was integrated into a multimodal analgesic protocol that proved effective, as no intraoperative nociceptive responses were observed and recovery was uneventful, aside from transient and self-limiting neurological deficits. This case illustrates the feasibility of incorporating sacrococcygeal epidural analgesia into a multimodal anaesthetic and analgesic plan for major surgical procedures in large felids.