Ms. Sepulveda et al., IMMOBILIZATION OF JUAN-FERNANDEZ FUR SEALS, ARCTOCEPHALUS-PHILIPPII, WITH KETAMINE-HYDROCHLORIDE AND DIAZEPAM, Journal of wildlife diseases, 30(4), 1994, pp. 536-540
During November and December of 1988, 1990, and 1991, a total of 22 fr
ee-ranging Juan Fernandez fur seal (Arctocephalus philippii) females f
rom Alejandro Selkirk Island, Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile, were
immobilized with a combination of ketamine and diazepam. Atropine sulp
hate was used to decrease respiratory secretions. The mean (+/- SD) in
duction dosages of ketamine and diazepam were 3.64 +/- 1.3 mg/kg and 0
.12 +/- 0.07 mg/kg, respectively Mean (+/- SD) induction time and time
to recovery for females injected intramuscularly (IM) (15 +/- 7 min a
nd 47 +/- 16 min) were significantly greater than for females injected
intravenously (IV) (0.6 +/- 0.4 min and 26 +/- 11 min). Mean (+/- SD)
heart rates and core temperatures were significantly higher for femal
es injected IV (173 +/- 15.71 beats/min and 37.6 +/- 0.83 C) than for
females injected IM (135 +/- 27.06 beats/min and 36.5 +/- 1.15 C). In
addition, the IV route resulted in better levels of immobilization com
pared to the IM route. The degree of immobilization was not related to
the dosages of ketamine and diazepam administered. Two animals died a
fter drug administration.