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. 1990 Mar 1;31(1):63–71. doi: 10.1186/BF03547578

Medetomidine- and Medetomidine-Ketamine-induced Immobilization in Blue Foxes (Alopex lagopus) and its Reversal by Atipamezole

Medetomidin- och medetomidin-ketamin inducerad immobilisation hos blåräv (Alopex lagopus) samt dess upphävande med atipamezol.

Harry H Jalanka 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8133186  PMID: 1975971

Abstract

Jalanka, H.: Medetomidine- and medetomidine-ketamine-induced immobilization in bue foxes (Alopex lagopus) and its reversal by atipamezole. Acta vet. scand. 1990, 31, 63–71. – The sedative and immobilizing effects of the alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist medetomidine alone or combined with the dissociative anesthetic ketamine, were studied in blue foxes. Medetomidine at doses of 25 and 50 μg/kg induced moderate to deep sedation, but only with the highest medetomidine dose tested, 100 μg/kg, was the immobilization complete. Medetomidine 50 μg/kg combined with ketamine 2.5 mg/kg rapidly induced complete immobilization, characterized by good myorelaxation, and no clinically significant alterations in serially determined hematologic and serum chemistry parameters.

The alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist atipamezole effectively reversed the medetomidine- or medetomidine-ketamine-induced immobilizations. A transient increase in heart rates was noted after each atipamezole injection.

Keyword: anesthesia; alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist, antagonist; hematology; serum chemistry

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