Sedative Effects of Intranasal Midazolam Administration in Wild Caught Blue-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) and Orange-winged Amazon (Amazona amazonica) Parrots

• Published in: Journal of avian medicine and surgery 2017-09, Vol.31 (3), p.213-218
• Main Authors: Schaffer, Débora P. H, de Araújo, Nayone L. L. C, Raposo, Ana Cláudia S, Filho, Emanoel F. Martins, Vieira, João Victor R, Oriá, Arianne P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Intranasal - veterinary; Amazona - physiology; Amazona aestiva; Amazona amazonica; Animals; Animals, Wild; avian; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; benzodiazepine; bird; blue-fronted Amazon parrot; Female; Hypnotics and Sedatives - administration & dosage; Hypnotics and Sedatives - pharmacology; Male; Midazolam - administration & dosage; Midazolam - pharmacology; muscle relaxant; orange-winged Amazon parrot; ORIGINAL STUDIES; Original Study; premedication; restraint; Restraint, Physical - veterinary; sedation; wild-caught parrot
• ISSN: 1082-6742; 1938-2871
• DOI: 10.1647/2016-201

Safe and effective sedation protocols are important for chemical restraint of birds in clinical and diagnostic procedures, such as clinical evaluations, radiographic positioning, and blood collection. These protocols may reduce stress and ease the management of wild-caught birds, which are susceptible to injury or death when exposed to stressful situations. We compare the sedative effect of intranasal midazolam in wild-caught blue-fronted (Amazona aestiva) and orange-winged (Amazona amazonica) Amazon parrots. Ten adult parrots of each species (n = 20), of unknown sex, weighing 0.337 ± 0.04 (blue-fronted) and 0.390 ± 0.03 kg (orange-winged), kg were used. Midazolam (2 mg/kg) was administered intranasally and the total volume of the drug was divided equally between the 2 nostrils. Onset time and total sedation time were assessed. Satisfactory sedation for clinical evaluation was induced in all birds. Onset time and total sedation times were similar in both species: 5.36 ± 1.16 and 25.40 ± 5.72 minutes, respectively, for blue-fronted Amazons and 5.09 ± 0.89 and 27.10 ± 3.73 minutes, respectively, for orange-winged Amazons. A total of 15 animals showed absence of vocalization, with moderate muscle relaxation and wing movement upon handling, and 2 animals presented with lateral recumbence, with intense muscle relaxation and no wing movement, requiring no restraint. Three blue-fronted Amazons had no effective sedation. Intranasally administered midazolam at a dose of 2 mg/kg effectively promoted sedative effects with a short latency time and fast recovery in wild-caught parrots.