Immobilization of Chacoan Peccaries (Catagonus Wagneri) Using Medetomidine, Telazol®, and Ketamine

Abstract

A combination of medetomidine, Telazol, and ketamine hydrochloride was used to immobilize captive Chacoan peccaries (Catagonus wagneri) for translocation within Paraguay during August-October 2002. Animals were darted in enclosed areas of varying size. The average dose used was 32.5Ϯ7.2 g/kg of medetomidine, 0.63Ϯ0.2 mg/kg of Telazol, and 3.9Ϯ0.65 mg/ kg of ketamine. First effects were noted at 4.3Ϯ2.1 min, and ability to handle the animals was achieved by 12.6Ϯ3.7 min. Heart and respiratory rates declined and oxygen saturation increased during anesthesia. Muscle relaxation was good. Atipamezole was used to antagonize the medetomidine, although recoveries were still slow. This drug combination provided adequate immobilization of Chacoan peccaries; however, this protocol would not be considered to be reversible, and confinement during recovery is recommended.

Efficiency and safety of xylazine and tiletamine/zolazepam to immobilize captured wild boars (Sus scrofa L. 1758): analysis of field results

“…Failures in the chemical immobilization of wild boar and related species were never described, but the recourse to twofold drug injections (Sweitzer et al 1997a) or capture mortality were often reported (Zurowski and Sakowicz 1965;Henry and Matschke 1968;Matschke and Henry 1969;Wood et al 1977;Gallagher et al 1985;Fournier et al 1995;Gabor et al 1997;Sutherland-Smith et al 2004). The main used drugs in wild pigs and peccaries are (a) the dissociative anesthetics alone, such as ketamine (Lochmiller et al 1984;Gallagher et al 1985;Hellgren et al 1985), (b) the mixture of tiletamine/zolazepam (Fournier et al 1995), and (c) the combination of dissociative drugs with alpha2-adrenergic agonists, such as xylazine (Baber and Coblentz 1982;Allen 1992;Gabor et al 1997;Isle and Hellgren 1995;Sweitzer et al 1997a;Selmi et al 2003) and medetomidine (Tast et al 2000;Sutherland-Smith et al 2004). Generally, the application of different anesthetic protocols results in similar benefits and problems, and the choice of protocol could be based on either cost, human safety, tolerance to high dosage, presence of drug policy restriction, etc.…”

An annotated checklist of the mammals of Paraguay

“…Most of the nine species that occur in Paraguay are found on both sides of the Rio Paraguay, with the exception of Parachoerus wagneri and Lama guanicoe, both restricted to Western Paraguay, and Mazama nana, which is restricted to Eastern Paraguay. Until 1975, Parachoerus wagneri was known only from the fossil record; the discovery of this "living fossil" (Wetzel et al 1975) precipitated a massive effort to document the biology of this species (Wetzel et al 1975;Mayer and Brandt 1982;Benirschke et al 1985;Mayer and Wetzel 1986;Byrd et al 1988;Benirschke et al 1989aBenirschke et al , 1989bTaber 1990;Handen and Benirschke 1991;Taber 1991;Brooks 1992;Taber 1993;Handen et al 1994;Taber et al 1993Taber et al , 1994Yahnke et al 1997;Toone and Wallace 2002;Toone et al 2003;Sutherland-Smith et al 2004;Meritt 2010). Studies of other ungulates in Paraguay, however, have lagged far behind, and those species are known primarily from lists or reports of sightings.…”

Pharmacokinetics of tiletamine and zolazepam (Telazol®) in anesthetized pigs

“…, 2003; Telazol ® package insert, 2003; Belant, 2004, 2005; Jang et al. , 2004; Sutherland‐Smith et al. , 2004; Walter et al.…”