BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 June 2015 IMMOBILIZING THE VULNERABLE APENNINE CHAMOIS (RUPICAPRA PYRENAICA ORNATA) WITH A LOW-DOSE XYLAZINE–KETAMINE COMBINATION, REVERSED WITH IDAZOXAN OR ATIPAMEZOLE
Leonardo Gentile, Menzano Arianna, Latini Roberta, Mari Franco, Rossi Luca
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Little information is available on chemical capture of the vulnerable subspecies within the genus Rupicapra. Low-dosage combinations of xylazine and ketamine were tested for immobilization of captive and free-ranging Apennine chamois, Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata (85 and 66 immobilizations, respectively) in a retrospective analysis. Of the six dosage groups, all of them providing an acceptable level of immobilization, the optimal trade-off between safety and efficacy was found following administration of a mean dosage of 0.24 ± 0.03 mg/kg xylazine and 1.07 ± 0.15 mg/kg ketamine, resulting in 7.50 ± 3.31 min induction time, deep sedation with no or limited reaction to handling in 96% of the chamois, minimal deviation of physiologic parameters from previously reported physiologic values for anesthetized or physically restrained chamois, and no mortality. Intravenous injection of idazoxan (0.05 ± 0.01 mg/kg) or atipamezole (0.38 ± 0.37 mg/kg) resulted in faster reversal than intravenous injection of tolazoline (1.05 ± 0.15 mg/kg) in 1.3 vs. 4.1 min. When free-ranging chamois were darted with similar xylazine and ketamine dosages, induction time was 8.49 ± 5.48 min, 88% of the animals were deeply sedated, and a single animal died from respiratory arrest (1.5% mortality). Intramuscular atipamezole provided smoother reversal than intravenous idazoxan. The results of this study suggest that xylazine/ketamine combinations, at remarkably lower dosage than previously published in Caprinae, may be safely and effectively used in chemical capture protocols of Apennine chamois, to facilitate conservation-oriented relocation and research.

American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
Leonardo Gentile, Menzano Arianna, Latini Roberta, Mari Franco, and Rossi Luca "IMMOBILIZING THE VULNERABLE APENNINE CHAMOIS (RUPICAPRA PYRENAICA ORNATA) WITH A LOW-DOSE XYLAZINE–KETAMINE COMBINATION, REVERSED WITH IDAZOXAN OR ATIPAMEZOLE," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 46(2), 213-223, (1 June 2015). https://doi.org/10.1638/2014-0079R.1
Received: 16 May 2014; Published: 1 June 2015
KEYWORDS
Apennine chamois
Atipamezole
idazoxan
immobilization
ketamine
xylazine
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top