Medetomidine–ketamine–sevoflurane anaesthesia in juvenile Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) undergoing experimental surgery

To describe the anaesthetic, physiological and side effects of intramuscular (IM) medetomidine and ketamine, followed by inhalational anaesthesia with sevoflurane, in Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus). Observational trial. Ten juvenile captive-bred Nile crocodiles undergoing surgical implantation of skeletal beads and muscular electrodes. During preanaesthetic examination, the following variables were assessed: heart (HR) and respiratory (fR) rates, and response to palpebral, corneal and toe- and tail-pinch withdrawal reflexes. The crocodiles were injected IM with an initial combination of medetomidine and ketamine and re-evaluated at 5 minute intervals for 20 minutes, or until they appeared unresponsive. If that did not occur, the drugs were redosed according to a decision tree based on the observed effects. The righting, biting and palatal valve reflexes were assessed in the unresponsive crocodiles, and used to confirm anaesthetic induction. Anaesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane in oxygen. At the end of surgery, medetomidine was antagonized with IM atipamezole. The decision tree identified 0.3 mg kg−1 medetomidine and 15 mg kg−1 ketamine as a useful drug combination, which resulted in anaesthetic induction and surgical anaesthesia 16 ± 8 and 16 (25–20) minutes after injection, respectively. Compared to baseline, HR and fR significantly decreased after anaesthetic induction (p < 0.001), but then remained stable throughout surgery. Intraoperatively, cloacal temperature [27 (26–30) °C] did not change over time (p = 0.48). The total dose of atipamezole was 2 (1–3) mg kg−1 and time to recovery was 36 (20–60) minutes. Perioperative complications were not observed. and clinical relevance Medetomidine and ketamine, injected IM and followed by sevoflurane anaesthesia, may be regarded as a useful anaesthetic technique for juvenile Nile crocodiles undergoing minimally invasive experimental surgery.