Abstract

Twenty adult, free-ranging, female Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) were immobilized with medetomidine-ketamine from 30 September through 9 October 1999 at Svalbard, Norway (78 degrees 55'N, 11 degrees 56'E). The animals were approached on foot, and the drugs were administered into the heavy muscles of the shoulder or the thigh by dart syringe injection from 15-25 m. The mean (SD) induction time in 10 animals immobilized with 0.11.3 (0.009) mg/kg of medetomidine and 2.26 (0.19) mg/kg of ketamine (group 2) was significantly shorter (P<0.05) than in 10 animals immobilized with 0.215 (0.043) mg/kg of medetomidine and 1.08 (0.21) mg/kg of ketamine (group 1): 6.5 (3.2) versus 14.3 (10.6) min, respectively. Inductions were calm, major clinical side effects were not detected, and there were no significant differences between groups regarding rectal temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, or relative arterial oxygen saturation. The 5 mg of atipamezole/1 mg of medetomidine were given half intramuscularly and half subcutaneously for reversal, and the animals were standing within 9.5 (4.5, group 1) and 13.0 (6.4, group 2) min, respectively, after administration of the antagonist.

Keywords

Atipamezole; immobilization; ketamine; medetomidine; Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus; Svalbard reindeer

Published in

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
2009, Volume: 45, number: 3, pages: 877-880
Publisher: WILDLIFE DISEASE ASSOC, INC

SLU Authors

• Arnemo, Jon

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-45.3.877

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/49572