IMMOBILIZATION OF FREE-RANGING AFRICAN WILD DOGS (LYCAON-PICTUS) USING A KETAMINE XYLAZINE/ATROPINE COMBINATION/

Five free-ranging adult African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), 24-31 kg, w ere darted with 35-50 mg ketamine, 60 mg xylazine, and 1.25 mg atropin e. Four of five immobilizations had no dart failures, with times to st ernal recumbency between 9 and 13 min. Immobilized dogs exhibited comp lete skeletal muscle relaxation, and none exhibited any signs of arous al during physical examination or sampling. Continuous monitoring of p ulse rate and percent oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (Spo(2) trends, in addition to other anesthesia monitoring procedures, indicated no ad verse physiologic responses unique to this drug combination. All dogs exhibited relatively stable Spo(2) profiles for the duration of monito ring, with a mean (+/-SD) Spo(2) of 89% +/- 4.9%. Yohimbine administra tion (2.5 mg i.v., 2.5 mg i.m. or s.c.) 30-37 min after darting provid ed effective reversal, with times to standing after yohimbine ranging from 2.0 to 10.2 min. All dogs appeared behaviorally normal and return ed to their packs after the procedures.