Anesthesia of five captive amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) with a medetomidine-ketamine combination

Five adult healthy captive male amur tigers were anesthetized using a combination of medetomidine (0.03 mg/kg) and ketamine (2.5 mg/kg) target doses. After darting, the mean time to de-cubitus was 5 +/- 1 minutes and to approach 13 +/- 2.4 minutes. The time between approaching and the end of the procedure was 16.2 +/- 3.3 minutes, and between darting and administering the antagonist 32.8 +/- 4 minutes. After administration of atipamezole (0.08 mg/kg IV), the mean time to regain sternal recumbency was 9.4 +/- 4.6 minutes and to stand 23 +/- 11.4 minutes. Medetomidine in association with ketamine in single-dart injection produced fast and safe chemical restraint in the healthy tigers. Partial reversal with 15 mg of atipamezole IV resulted in a short recovery duration without obvious side effects.