ABSTRACT

Twenty immobilizations, for various minor clinical procedures, were performed on 12 adult and sub-adult leopard, Geochelone pardalis, yellow foot, Geochelone denticulata, and Aldabra, Aldabrachelys gigantea, tortoises with a combination of medetomidine and ketamine. An intravenous dose rate of 100 μg/kg medetomidine for leopard and yellow foot tortoises and 25 - 80 μg/kg for Aldabra tortoises resulted in induction times (time from drug injection until the head could be pulled out and the mouth opened) that ranged between 4 and 16 minutes (median 10) and 15 - 45 minutes (45) respectively. Recovery times (time from drug injection until the tortoise was able to withdraw its head with strength) using intravenous atipamezole at a dose rate of 400 μg/kg for leopard and yellow foot and 100 - 380 μg/kg for Aldabra tortoises ranged between 2 and 30 minutes (5) and 5 - 15 minutes (5) respectively. Most (90%) of leopard and yellow foot tortoises experienced a drop in heart rate from baseline following medetomidine/ketamine administration, however no clinical complications were noted. Two leopard tortoises vomited post intravenous injection of atipamezole. One Aldabra tortoise exhibited penile prolapse following intravenous injection of medetomidine/ketamine and one yellow foot and three Aldabra tortoises exhibited a transient bilateral hindlimb paralysis even after reversal with atipamezole.