An adult, 23 yr-old, male greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) was repeatedly immobilized with combinations of etorphine, detomidine, and ketamine to provide medical and surgical care to chronic, bilateral, soft tissue lesions on the hind feet and to collect semen by electroejaculation. The rhinoceros was successfully immobilized on 24 occasions over a 55 mo period at approximately 8–10 wk intervals, 17 times with a combination of etorphine and detomidine (M99–D, i.m.) by projectile dart and seven times with a combination of etorphine, ketamine, and detomidine (M99–K–D, i.m.) by pole syringe. The combination of etorphine, detomidine, and ketamine repeatedly and safely induced prolonged anesthesia, and a suitable drug combination includes 3.5–3.8 mg etorphine, 14 mg detomidine, and 400 mg ketamine (M99-K-D) administered i.m. into the neck.
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1 June 2002
REPEATED CHEMICAL IMMOBILIZATION OF A CAPTIVE GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS (RHINOCEROS UNICORNIS), USING COMBINATIONS OF ETORPHINE, DETOMIDINE, AND KETAMINE
Mark W. Atkinson,
Bruce Hull,
A. Rae Gandolf,
Evan S. Blumer
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Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Vol. 33 • No. 2
June 2002
Vol. 33 • No. 2
June 2002
chemical immobilization
Detomidine
etorphine
greater one-horned rhinoceros
ketamine
Rhinoceros unicornis