Check this out! I had a wildlife immobilization class. It was
really awesome because we had a chance for hands on experience. It was a chance to get over your needle phobia, actually stick an animal, and to experiment with different drug combinations and observe the animals responses. It was
really cool. We rented four 200 lb pack goats (they don't look that big!) from a 4-H teenager. Apparently he was aware of their purpose. And wanted them back alive.
All the drugs have different anesthesia and analgesia properties, mode of action, time of effectiveness, and side effects. Respiratory and cardiac depression are common side effects. Monitoring is critical when working in field conditions and on minimally studied wildlife species. The whole situation poses many difficulties. Just getting the drugs in the animal, and the animal safely down somewhere where you can find it, without injury to animal or humans, being one. Choosing drug dose based on visual estimation of weight and the lack of knowledge on the current condition of the animal are other issues. The practice of hopefully sticking the animal somewhere with a dart isn't quite the same as I.V. administration.
One goat was getting a mixture that would lead to standing sedation, others with different levels of anesthesia, etc. All of them had a combination of drugs, one sometimes counteracting the side effect of another. Our goat was on a narcotic with a sedative.
Here are our patients, patiently waiting.
Oh boy, I'm feeling sleeeeepppy. This must be a good drug!
Here's a pillow little guy; have to keep their heads elevated.
Then some poking and prodding. Taking blood samples.
Some drugs paralyze GI tract muscles which causes bloat in ruminants so we had to tube them.
Antidote given -Whew, all is well.
I can see.....but my legs aren't working.
So how does this relate to herding. Well, I could be handy at druging the sheep at the next trial. Drugging my dog is an option. Valium or opioids for handlers. See, that's something.
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