Xylazine hydrochloride and manual restraint effects on blood characteristics of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

The effects of the immobilizing drug xylazine hydrochloride (XHC1), manual restraint, time of bleeding, and the handling procedures of darting, manual restraint with darting, and manual restraint with syringe injection on the blood characteristics (packed cell volume [PCV] hemoglobin [HB], serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase [SGOT], glucose, serum [blood] urea nitrogen [BUN] total plasma proteins and total plasma corticosteroids) of female white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, were tested. The time of bleeding significantly (P < 0.05) affected PCV! BUN, glucose, total proteins and total corticosteroids. The method of XHC1 delivery did not affect blood characteristics. XHC1 significantly (P < 0.05) reduced PCC! Hb, and total proteins while significant (P < 0.05) elevations were recorded in glucose and total corticosteroid concentrations. Both BUN and SGOT were not significantly affected by XHC1 over 90 minutes. Manual restraint resulted in stable blood characteristics over the bleeding times with the exception of glucose and total corticosteroids. It was concluded that standardized bleeding times and conditions of minimal stress are required for reliable sampling of deer blood characteristics.