Personal Experiences in the Use of Zoletil®for Anaesthesia of the Red-Necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)

• DOI: 10.1007/s11259-005-0066-5
• Publication Date: 2005-10-21T15:32:03Z
• Authors: M. Mauthe von Deg...
• Keywords: Macropus

The successfully capture and handling of wild animals often relies on chemical restraint in order to reduce stress related to these procedures. Anaesthetic and sedative agents should have a wide safety margin overall when used on stressed animals. The drugs should also allow fast induction and recovery times to minimise the possibility of self-inflicted injury from impaired coordination and disorientation. Eight wallaby red necked (Macropus rufogriseus) received i.m. 12,92 ± 2,1 mg/kg of a commercial association of Tiletamine/Zolazepam (Zoletil 100®), which seems to induce an adeguate and smooth immobilization in 1’55”. The injection was given using a blow dart. The used posologies allow not only the patient handling, but diagnostic/surgical manipulations even painful. Animals raised the head after a mean time of 66 ± 29.7 min from injection. The sialorrhoea side effect could be easily controlled with atropine sulphate (0.03 ± 0.01 mg/kg). These experiences show that this anaesthetic method is suitable for anaesthesia of wallaby red necked.