Veterinary Drugs & Dosages Table
Deer
This section is intended as a reference for veterinary surgeons only
Any medications dispensed or administered, or procedures performed, should only be by or under order of a qualified, licensed veterinary surgeon. Given the current scarcity of drugs licensed for use in wildlife, the responsible use of the cascade system is recommended. Drug information and dosages are derived from a variety of sources (see references), and do not necessarily guarantee safety or efficacy.
| DRUG | DOSE | ROUTE | SUITABLE SPECIES | DIRECTIONS | USES/NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrofloxacin (Baytril 5%) | 5mg/kg | SC | SID for 3 days | Dog bites, gunshot wounds | |
| Oxytetracycline LA | 20mg/kg | IM | Red Deer | Single dose | Wounds |
| Oxytetracycline 5% | 10mg/kg | IM | For 5 days | Enteritis | |
| Trimethoprim sulfa | 20mg/kg | IM | Broad-spectrum bactericidal |
| DRUG | DOSE | ROUTE | SUITABLE SPECIES | DIRECTIONS | USES/NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buprenorphine *? (Temgesic / Vetergesic) | 10-20mcg/kg | IM | |||
| Butorphanol (Torbugesic) *? | 0.2mg/kg | ||||
| Carprofen (Rimadyl/Zenecarp) | 1mg/kg | IV | Every 48hrs | Trauma | |
| Flunixin | 2mg/kg | IV | SID |
| DRUG | DOSE | ROUTE | SUITABLE SPECIES | DIRECTIONS | USES/NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detomidine / medetomidine | 50-100 mcg/kg | IM, IV | With ketamine for deep sedation. Use upper dose for fallow deer | ||
| Diazepam (Valium) | 0.5-1 mg/kg | IM, IV | Deer | Contrain- dicated in shock | Sedation for capture/handling |
| Etorphine | 0.5–0.75 ml/100kg (1.125 – 2.2 mg/100kg) |
IM | Red, Sika | Field anaesthesia | |
| Etorphine + Xylazine |
1.125 – 2.2 mg/100kg + 1mg/kg |
IM | Fallow | Field anaesthesia | |
| Xylazine | 2mg/kg | IM, IV | Use 50% more for Fallow | With Ketamine for deep sedation and induction | |
| Ketamine | 2-3mg/kg | IM, IV | Deep sedation with xylazine or detomidine / medetomidine and induction following xylazine | ||
| Ketamine + xylazine | 2 – 3mg /kg + 2mg/kg | IM, IV | |||
| Ketamine + Detomidine *? (Domosedan) | 1-2mg/kg + 60-90 mcg/kg |
Fallow | Reversal; atipamezole, 3-7 times volume of detomidine given | Dart capture | |
| Propofol | 0.6-1.5mg/kg | IV | Prolonging / maintenance of GA |
| DRUG | DOSE | ROUTE | SUITABLE SPECIES | DIRECTIONS | USES/NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moxidectin *2 | 0.2 mg/kg | ||||
| Ivermectin *3 | 0.2 mg/kg | SC | Single dose | ||
| Ivermectin for cattle | 400mcg/kg | SC | Deer | Prophylactic treatment |
| DRUG | DOSE | ROUTE | SUITABLE SPECIES | DIRECTIONS | USES/NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dextrose 50% solution | 1 ml/kg | IV | Initially 1 ml/kg then add to fluids to avoid rebound hypoglycemia | ||
| Hartmann’s | 60-70ml/kg /day | IV | Maintenance | ||
| 90ml/kg | IV | rapidly | Shock | ||
| Hypertonic saline | IV | Head trauma | |||
| Mannitol | IV | Head trauma |
| DRUG | DOSE | ROUTE | SUITABLE SPECIES | DIRECTIONS | USES/NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexamethasone (soluble) | 5mg/kg | IV | Capture myopathy, with IV fluids and glucose. Head trauma cases | ||
| 0.8mg/kg | IM, IV | Gluconeogenic and anti inflammatory | |||
| Methylprednisolone (Solu medrone V) | 20mg/kg | IV | Corticosteroid, suppression of inflammation, capture myopathy, with IV fluids and glucose. | ||
| Pentobarbital sodium (Pentobarbital) | 150mg/kg | IV | Deer | Euthanasia | |
| Vit E and Selenium (Dystosel) *1 | 1ml muntjac 3ml fallow |
IM | Deer | On arrival |
References
BSAVA Manual of Wildlife Casualties
*1 Practical Wildlife Care, Second Edition, Les Stocker
*2 FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 41/8, Rome 1996
*3 The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products, 1996
*4 Medical management of the white-tailed deer fawn
