Exotic Animal Formulary5

maintenance 333
Ketamine HCl — Dissociative anesthetic; seldom used as
sole agent because of poor muscle
relaxation and prolonged (up to 3
hr), violent recovery; may produce
excitation or convulsions in
pigeons, gallinules, water rails,
golden pheasants, Hartlaub’s
turacoes, ratites, and vultures; 375,705
may fail to produce general
anesthesia in some species including
great horned owls, snowy owls,
Cooper’s hawks, sharp-shinned
hawks; See dexmedetomidine and
etorphine for combinations;
ketamine combinations follow
5 mg/kg IV q10min
prn 375
5-30 mg/kg IM,
IV 38,333
10-50 mg/kg SC, IM,
IV 195,333
Ratites/maintenance
Raptors/sedation
Psittacines, pigeons, ratites,
waterfowl/restraint 30-60 min;
smaller species require a higher dose;
large birds tend to recover more
slowly
25 mg/kg IM 333 Emus/may need to supplement 5-
9 mg/kg IV q10min
50 mg/kg IO 393 Pigeons/provided effective anesthesia
Ketamine (K)/acepromazine
(A)
50-100 mg/kg PO in
bait 33,76,149a
(K) 10-25 mg/kg +
(A) 0.5-1 mg/kg
IM 846
Raptors/sedation to catch an escaped
bird; place in a 30 g piece of meat
Most species/high dose for birds <250 g
Ostriches/ketamine may be given 15-
Ketamine (K)/diazepam (D) (K) 2-5 mg/kg IV +
IV 333
(D) 0.25 mg/kg 30 min after diazepam
(K) 3-8 mg/kg + (D)
0.5-1 mg/kg IM 340 Eagles, vultures
(K) 5-30 mg/kg + (D) Most species/psittacines and pigeons
0.5-2 mg/kg IV 333 lower end of range is preferred
(K) 8-15 mg/kg + (D)
0.5-1 mg/kg IM 340 Falcons
339