Sedation of Mink (Neovison vison) for Electrophysiological Procedures

The aim was to apply medetomidine sedation for electrophysiological measurements in mink (Neovison vison). Adult animals (N = 15) of standard type were used. Initially, sedation with an i.m. injection of medetomidine (Dorbene 0.20 ml, 200 micrograms) was used. However, sufficient sedation was not reached. The next step was to sedate with 0.8 ml of medetomidine (Dorbene 0.80 ml, 800 micrograms). These animals woke up and the experiment needed to be interrupted. The next animal was injected with 1 ml of medetomidine (Dorbene 1 ml, 1 mg) but it never got sufficiently sedated. The fifth and sixth animals were sedated with combination of 0.8 mg medetomidine and butorphanol (Butador) (2 mg in one mink and 4 mg in another). These animals got sedated to some extent so that the electroencephalography (EEC) recording was possible. The further animals (N = 9) were sedaded with the combination of the 0.4 mg medetomidine (Dorbene 0.4 ml, 400 micrograms) and 10 mg tiletamine with 10 mg zolazepam (Zoletil 0.2 ml). The combination of Dorbene (0.4 ml) and Zoletil (0.2 ml) were mixed within one syringe and injected intramuscularly. The rest of mink got the same combination of anesthetics and all animals reached the sufficient level of sedation to measure properly electroencephalography (EEC), electrocardiography (ECG), respiratory rate and brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER).