U.S. Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

 

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

6-1-2021

Citation

Wildlife Society Bulletin 45(2):300–304; 2021;

DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1170

Comments

U.S. government work

Abstract

We investigated intramuscular administration of alfaxalone (5.3–10.0 mg/kg) as an immobilizing agent in free-ranging small Indian mongooses (Urva auropunctata) on the island of St. Kitts, West Indies. From 5–11 January 2020, we successfully immobilized 10 of 11 mongooses. Alfaxalone provided rapid onset (median = 3 min) of immobilization. Mean duration of immobilization was 16.8 ± 3 min. Mean recovery time was 5.6 ± 1 min. There was no effect of dose administered on induction, anesthesia, or recovery times at the dose range used. We concluded that alfaxalone represents an effective alternative to dissociative agents for the immobilization of free-ranging mongooses. Further studies are necessary to quantify alfaxalone effects on mongoose vital rates and blood parameters.

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