Comparative immobilization of wild felids in Thailand

J Wildl Dis. 2004 Jul;40(3):575-8. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-40.3.575.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / administration & dosage
  • Anesthetics, Dissociative / administration & dosage*
  • Animals
  • Animals, Wild
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Combinations
  • Felidae / physiology*
  • Female
  • Immobilization / methods
  • Immobilization / veterinary*
  • Ketamine / administration & dosage*
  • Ketamine / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Male
  • Thailand
  • Tiletamine / administration & dosage
  • Time Factors
  • Xylazine / administration & dosage*
  • Xylazine / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
  • Anesthetics, Dissociative
  • Drug Combinations
  • Xylazine
  • Tiletamine
  • Ketamine