Xylazine as an immobilizing agent for captive white-tailed deer.
Xylazine, at dosages of 0.89 to 8.00 mg/kg of body weight, was injected intramuscularly by manual or projectile syringe into 68 captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to facilitate handling. Of 63 deer given the intended dose, 59 were moderately to deeply sedated and immobilized. Deer began to react visibly within 0.75 to 4.25 minutes after injection. Mean induction time (+/- SD) was 5.15 +/- 4.08 minutes and mean duration of immobilization was 197.90 +/- 101.13 minutes. Other than the prolongation of immobilization at dosages larger than or equal to 3 mg/kg, these times were not significantly affected by dosage or sex of the deer. Induction times were shorter in fawns than in older deer and much shorter in freshly trapped deer than in deer that had been trapped but kept undisturbed in semidarkened pens for 6 to 48 hours or in deer that were semitame captives. Dosages as low as 0.89 mg/kg were effective, and the safety margin appeared to be at least 8 times the minimal effective dose; however, immobilized deer were frequently unable to maintain sternal recumbency and required attention throughout the period of immobilization.
D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D003670:Deer / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007103:Immobilization; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D012007:Rectum / Q000502:physiology; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000662:veterinary; D013843:Thiazines; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D014991:Xylazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology
D013843:Thiazines; D014991:Xylazine