Comparative immobilization of wild felids in Thailand.
We immobilized individuals of four free-ranging felid species, leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii), and marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) with ketamine hydrochloride and xylazine hydrochloride (KH-XH) and with tiletamine hydrochloride and zolazepam hydrochloride (TH-ZH) between March 1998 and July 2002. Mean (+/-SD) dose of KH and XH was 26.51+/-5.71 mg/kg and 1.89+/-0.43 mg/kg, respectively (n=25), and mean dose of TH-ZH was 11.61+/-3.39 mg/kg (n=28). Dose was significantly correlated with induction time (P<0.001) and duration of anesthesia (P<0.05), but not with recovery time. There were significant differences between the drug combinations in time to induction (P<0.03) and time to anesthesia (P<0.01); recovery times were not significantly different. We conclude that immobilization of these felids with TH-ZH and KH-XH is effective and safe, but TH-ZH is preferred because of the smaller volume of drug necessary for sedation, faster time to induction, and absence of prolonged muscle rigidity during anesthesia.
Feline Research Program, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, MSC 218, 700 University Blvd., Kingsville, Texas 78363, USA. lon.grassman@tamuk.edu
Lon I
LI
Grassman
Sean C
SC
Austin
Michael E
ME
Tewes
Nova J
NJ
Silvy
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D045989:Felidae / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007103:Immobilization / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D008297:Male; D013785:Thailand; D013992:Tiletamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors; D014991:Xylazine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D004338:Drug Combinations; D014991:Xylazine; D013992:Tiletamine; D007649:Ketamine