title: Use of carfentanil and a ketamine-xylazine mixture to immobilise wild grey seals (Halichoerus grypus).
abstract: Carfentanil was used to anaesthetise 46 adult grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) on 78 occasions during two breeding seasons. The mean dose was 9.92 micrograms/kg bodyweight during the first season and 10.22 micrograms/kg during the second. Naloxone hydrochloride was used as the antagonist, averaging 0.53 mg/kg and 1.73 mg/kg over the two periods although the latter is probably unnecessarily high. Ketamine and xylazine at a ratio of 5:1 were also used during the same two seasons, 57 seals being anaesthetised on 104 occasions. The average dose of ketamine was 4.96 mg/kg and 5.15 mg/kg with xylazine in proportion. Complications arose on a number of occasions and these are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010872:Caniformia; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D007103:Immobilization; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D009270:Naloxone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D046048:Seals, Earless; D013843:Thiazines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014991:Xylazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D013843:Thiazines; D014991:Xylazine; D009270:Naloxone; D007649:Ketamine; C017114:carfentanil; D005283:Fentanyl