A MIXTURE OF NALBUPHINE, AZAPERONE, AND MEDETOMIDINE FOR IMMOBILIZING RINGTAILS (BASSARISCUS ASTUTUS)

We evaluated a combination of nalbuphine HCl (40 mg/mL), azaperone tartrate (10 mg/mL), and medetomidine HCl (10 mg/mL), a combination known as NAM or NalMed-A, in 23 ringtails (Bassariscus astutus) during 29 handling events for a radio-collaring study in southern Oregon, US, from August 2020 to March 2022. The combination was delivered to ringtails by hand injection at 0.075 mL NAM per estimated 1 kg body mass. The mean (+/- standard deviation, SD) dosage calculated post hoc was 3.366 (+/- 0.724) mg/kg nalbuphine, 0.841 (+/- 0.181) mg/kg medetomidine, and 0.841 (+/- 0.181) mg/kg azaperone. All captured ringtails were effectively immobilized with a mean (SD) induction time of 13.24 (+/- 3.57) min. The medetomidine and nalbuphine components were antagonized with a combination of atipamezole and naltrexone HCl with a mean (SD) recovery time of 2.48 (+/- 1.94) min. This combination appeared to be safe and effective for immobilizing ringtails with a low volume dose, smooth antagonism, and rapid recovery. In addition, NAM does not contain any drugs that are US Drug Enforcement scheduled, which makes it useful for immobilization procedures by wildlife professionals in the US.