Reversal by tolazoline hydrochloride of xylazine hydrochloride-ketamine hydrochloride immobilizations in free-ranging desert mule deer.
We captured 10 free-ranging desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus crooki) (five males and five females) by net-gun from a helicopter and immobilized them with xylazine hydrochloride (HCl) (100 mg) and ketamine HCl (300 to 400 mg) injected intramuscularly. Arousal and ambulation times were 13.9 +/- 4.2 and 14.3 +/- 4.2 min in eight deer injected intravenously with tolazoline HCl (3.0 mg/kg). We observed a curvilinear relationship (R = 0.50, P less than 0.01) between rectal temperature and time after induction of anesthesia. Mean peak temperature (41.4 C) occurred at 23.7 +/- 3.2 min postinduction and was greater (P less than 0.01) than the mean temperature measured initially (40.8 C). Heart and respiratory rates (108 beats/min and 75 breaths/min) were elevated prior to immobilization. Mean heart rate increased (P less than 0.05) from 90 +/- 9 beats/min in anesthetized deer to 120 +/- 13 beats/min after tolazoline HCl injection. A 20% capture-related mortality rate suggests this combination of physical and chemical capture has serious limitations. Captive deer permitted to recover from xylazine HCl-ketamine HCl immobilization without a reversal agent were able to walk in 290 +/- 79 min.
DelGiudice
G D
GD
Research Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417.
Krausman
P R
PR
Bellantoni
E S
ES
Etchberger
R C
RC
Seal
U S
US
D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000662:veterinary; D003670:Deer; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007103:Immobilization; D007649:Ketamine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D013843:Thiazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014043:Tolazoline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014991:Xylazine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013843:Thiazines; D014991:Xylazine; D007649:Ketamine; D014043:Tolazoline