Buck, Roxanne KateStegmann, George F.Poore, Luke AlexanderShaik, TahiyyaGray, TravisZeiler, Gareth Edward2019-10-312019-10-312018-10-17Buck, R.K., Stegmann, G.F., Poore, L.A., Shaik, T., Gray, T. & Zeiler, G.E., 2018, ‘Xenotransfusion with packed bovine red blood cells to a wildebeest calf (Connochaetes taurinus)’, Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 89(0), a1669. https://doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v89i0.1669.2224-9435 (online)1019-9128 (print)10.4102/jsava.v89i0.1669http://hdl.handle.net/2263/72085A 4-month-old female blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) was presented for bilateral pelvic limb fracture repair. Clinical examination under anaesthesia revealed a water-hammer pulse and a haematocrit of 0.13. A xenotransfusion was performed using bovine (Bos taurus) erythrocytes because of inability to acquire a wildebeest donor. Clinical parameters improved following transfusion and the post-operative haematocrit value was 0.31. The wildebeest remained physiologically stable with a gradually declining haematocrit for the next three days. On the third post-operative day, the wildebeest refractured its femur and was humanely euthanised because of the poor prognosis for further fracture repair. Xenotransfusion using blood from domestic ruminants represents a life-saving short-term emergency treatment of anaemic hypoxia in wild ungulates. Domestic goats could be used as blood donors for rare ungulates where allodonors are not available.en© 2018. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.AnaemiaBlood transfusionWildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)XenotransfusionBlue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)Bilateral pelvic limb fracture repairArticle