Captive Red Panda Medicine

As with many captive animals, red panda health problems can be categorized into two age-based groups: paediatric and adult. This chapter addresses the broad health concerns of those two groups, followed by discussion on parasites, infectious diseases, and vaccination, and concludes with suggestions for chemical restraint and anaesthesia of red pandas. Several drugs and drug combinations have been used to chemically restrain red pandas for short procedures or for the induction of general anaesthesia. Neonates are usually “masked down,” by placing a face mask over their face, and having them breathe 5% isoflurane in oxygen. Alternatively, an induction chamber can be used in all age groups. Anaesthesia is induced by flowing 5% isoflurane in oxygen into the box. A combination of ketamine HCl, a dissociative anaesthetic and medetomidine, an alpha-2-adrenergicagonist works well in red pandas for short, non-noxious procedures, such as blood collection, teeth cleaning, orradiology. Typically, the animal is transferred from a crate to a small squeeze cage and the drugs are given intramuscularly, via hand injection. The effects of the medetomidine can be reversed with atipamezole and recoveries are usually rapid and smooth. Other drug combinations that have been used in juvenile and adult red pandas are: ketamine and xylazine; ketamine with xylazine i.m. and followed by i.v. diazepam; and tiletamine/zolazepam.