Anaesthesia of gemsbok (Oryx gazella) with a combination of A3080, medetomidine and ketamine

Abstract

An effective anaesthesia protocol was developed for adult free-ranging gemsbok (Oryx gazella) using a combination of A3080, medetomidine and ketamine. A short induction time; good muscle relaxation, adequate oxygenation and stable heart rate and respiration rate characterised this anaesthetic regime. Equal doses of A3080 and medetomidine (22-45 microg/kg) plus 200 mg of ketamine were administered to each animal. The anaesthesia was rapidly and completely reversed by intramuscular naltrexone at a dose of X = 0.9 +/- 0.2 mg/kg and atipamezole at a dose X +/- 90 +/- 20 microg/kg. No mortality or morbidity occurred with this protocol.