title: Evaluation of medetomidine-ketamine and medetomidine-ketamine-butorphanol for the field anesthesia of free-ranging dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Australia.
abstract: Abstract We report the clinical course and physiologic and anesthetic data for a case series of 76 free-ranging dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) chemically restrained, by remote injection from a helicopter, in the rangelands of Western Australia and South Australia, 2008-11, to attach satellite-tracking collars. Fifty-five camels were successfully anesthetized using medetomidine-ketamine (MK, n=27) and medetomidine-ketamine-butorphanol (MKB, n=28); the induction of anesthesia in 21 animals was considered unsuccessful. To produce reliable anesthesia for MK, medetomidine was administered at 0.22 mg/kg (± SD=0.05) and ketamine at 2.54 mg/kg (± 0.56), and for MKB, medetomidine was administered at 0.12 mg/kg (± 0.05), ketamine at 2.3 mg/kg (± 0.39), and butorphanol at 0.05 mg/kg (± 0.02). Median time-to-recumbency for MKB (8.5 min) was 2.5 min shorter than for MK (11 min) (P=0.13). For MK, the reversal atipamezole was administered at 0.24 mg/kg (± 0.10), and for MKB, atipamezole was administered at 0.23 mg/kg (± 0.13) and naltrexone at 0.17 mg/kg (± 0.16). Median time-to-recovery was 1 min shorter for MK (5 min) than MKB (6 min; P=0.02). Physiologic parameters during recumbency were not clinically different between the two regimes. Both regimes were suitable to safely anesthetize free-ranging camels; however, further investigation is required to find the safest, most consistent, and logistically practical combination.
authors.affiliation: 1  School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, 5371, Australia.
authors.forename: Wayne S J
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Boardman
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lethbridge
authors.forename: Jordan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Hampton
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Woolnough
authors.forename: Margaret-Mary
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McEwen
authors.forename: Graham W J
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Charles G B
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Caraguel
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D002077:Butorphanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002162:Camelus; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D020926:Medetomidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007649:Ketamine; D020926:Medetomidine; D002077:Butorphanol
keywords: Anesthesia; Camelus dromedarius; atipamezole; butorphanol; ketamine; medetomidine; naltrexone