Personal experiences in the use of association Tiletamine/Zolazepam for anaesthesia of the green Iguana (Iguana iguana)

Advanced diagnostic and surgical procedures often require adeguate anaesthesia, but Reptiles respond to anaesthetic drugs differently from mammals and birds. Injectable agents have very long induction times, poor muscle relaxation and rough recovery. Inhalation anaesthesia is not always useful because several reptile species can hold breath for long times (minutes or hours). Six green iguanas (Iguana iguana) received i.m. 10,53 ± 4,2 mg/kg of a commercial association of Tiletamine/Zolazepam (Zoletil 100®), which seems to induce an adeguate immobilization in few minutes. Four of these animals, in order to undergoing surgery, after intubation, were allowed to breathe Isoflurane/O2. Cardiac frequency increased slightly in all animals, while respiratory frequencies decreased. Recovery from anaesthesia was longer than 45 min for some of these patients. Use of Zoletil® does not cause excessive excitement in iguana, differently from Mammals and Birds. These experiences show that this anaesthetic method is valid for anaesthesia of the green iguana.