Abstract

Blood pressure measurement remains an extremely valuable diagnostic modality in the evaluation of the cardiovascular system of living animals. In this study, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) measurements from 5 male African Lions kept at the Zoological Garden, University of Ibadan, Nigeria were recorded from three different sites: forelimb, hindlimb and the tail. Immobilization was done with a combination ketamine hydrochloride (10 mg/kg) and xylazine (3 mg/kg). Blood pressure measurements were recorded as mean ± standard error of mean. Forelimb measurements for SBP, DBP and MAP were 177.60±6.8 mm Hg, 157.20±5.9 mm Hg and 168.60±5.2 mm Hg respectively. Hindlimb measurements for the SBP, DBP and MAP were 135.40±9.5 mm Hg, 120.60±5.9 mm Hg and 123.00±6.8 mm Hg, respectively, while the tail measurements for the SBP, DBP and MAP were 149.60±8.3 mm Hg, 132.80±5.9 mm Hg and 137.20±5.8 mm Hg, respectively. The means of the readings obtained from each site were compared using ANOVA at a 5% level of significance. Statistically significant (p<0.05) differences were found in the SBP, DBP and MAP recorded from each of the sites.

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