MEDICAL IMMOBILIZATION OF DOGS AND CATS - PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES

The animal health station of the institute responsible for the hygiene and cleanliness of public areas in the capital is operating under the direct supervision of the public and animal health authorities with f inancial support from the capital's budget. Its scope of authority ext ends to the whole administrative area of Budapest. Its duties are grow ing pear by year; in the period beta een 1992 and 1996, there were 261 5 resident animals in 1992, 3290 in 1993, 3649 in 1994, 3827 in 1995, and 5883 in 1996. The number of registered dogs that were vaccinated a gainst rabies also shows a growing yearly tendency: there were 168 000 vaccinated dogs registered in 1996. Our results have to be interprete d in the light of the above facts. The authors have analysed the data regarding medical capture of animals in Budapest between 1992 and 1996 . During this time there were 464 dogs captured with the medical immob ilisation technique. This technique greatly improves the efficiency of the animal health sen ices by enabling proper observation of the anim als the success of which can reduce both costs and risks both for the public health authority as well as the injured persons. In our experie nce there is no drug, be it used alone or in combination, that would e ntirely meet the requirement of causing almost immediate reversible mu scle relaxation thereby preventing escape of the animal thus ensuring the possibility of subsequent observation, the public and animal healt h importance of which, Furthermore its cost reducing effect, cannot be overemphasised. Taking into account the pros and cons, conditions of use, costs and risks versus benefits, at the moment the combination an aesthetics of either xylazine plus ketamine or medetomidine plus ketam ine are the drugs of choice (with no premedication for obvious reasons ) for the immobilisation of both dogs and cats.