EVALUATION OF MEDETOMIDINE-INDUCED IMMOBILIZATION IN ARABIAN ORYX (ORYX LEUCORYX) - CLINICAL, HEMATOLOGIC AND BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS

Medetomidine was used to immobilize 50 handreared Arabian oryx (Oryx l eucoryx) for various minor clinical procedures. Compared to the effect s of different drugs tried on the same animals, medetomidine at the do se of 53 +/- 9 mu g/kg (39-75 mu g/kg), administered i.m. in a single dart, gave excellent results. The induction stage was particularly qui et, with complete recumbency in 11.05 +/- 4.8 min (4.1-26.6 min). The immobilization was characterized by good to excellent myorelaxation, n ormal rectal temperatures, bradycardia, a low but stable respiratory r ate, and no significant change in hematologic and serum chemistry valu es. Atipamezole, two-thirds given i.v. and one-third given i.m. at a d ose of five times the medetomidine dose, led to standing recovery in 2 .6 +/- 2.3 min (0.75-8.9 min). No deaths and no major adverse effects were noted during immobilization or after reversal. The use of medetom idine as a mild sedative agent at low doses was also investigated. A d ose of 25 +/- 3 mu g/kg (21-30 mu g/kg) induced a sedation in males su fficient to facilitate transport of the animals.