Veterinary FAQ 

Huge thanks to Dr. Nick Labriola (Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice) and Dr. Dan Johnson DABVP-ECM (Avian and Exotic Animal Care in Raleigh. NC) for sharing their expertise regarding this information. The following topics are directly addressed by these vets. 

Best anesthesia: Gas anesthesia can be used alone - sevoflurane is a little less irritating to the airways and usually has a smoother induction when compared to isoflurane. Sevoflurane should be avoided in animals with kidney disease

Injectable anesthesia can also be used alone, typically a combination of ketamine and midazolam is used.

A combination of injectable and gas anesthesia should be used for longer, more invasive procedures

Kinkajous tend to salivate excessively while under anesthesia and atropine can be used to control this. It is very important to monitor this while kinkajous are anesthetized to avoid aspiration of their saliva.

Baseline blood: Official normals have been difficult to establish for kinkajous kept by private owners as they are not nearly as common as dogs, cats, etc., but most veterinarians have resources to compare bloodwork to that of kinkajous kept in zoological collections, etc. Kinkajous tend to show very high amylase levels on bloodwork. Elevated amylase can sometimes indicate acute pancreatitis, but this should not be considered accurate for kinkajous as their amylase commonly reads very high. A concurrent rise in lipase and inflammation of the pancreas on abdominal ultrasound would be more suggestive of this. 

 Keep in mind that stress can often cause an elevation in glucose or white blood cells (known as a “stress leukogram”) in some animals, especially cats. If an inexplicable rise in blood or white cells is noticed, this could be the reason. 

Otherwise, normal kinkajou bloodwork should be relatively similar to that of a dog. It can also be compared to raccoon or coatimundi bloodwork as they are procyonids. 

 *Kinkatopia keeps a collection of blood panels for reference with various issues, as well as for healthy kinkajous.

 Temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate: These values can also be compared to a dog of similar size. Normal dog temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate are 100-102.5 F, 60-120, and 18-24 respectively. Keep in mind that there is a high degree of variation within these ranges. Smaller dogs tend to fall into the higher end of these ranges, so the same can be expected of kinkajous as they are similar to toy dogs in size. 

 It is important to remember that stress can cause a significant increase in all three of these values. Since kinkajous are technically not domestic animals, vet visits can be incredibly stressful. For this reason, it is safe to assume that a kinkajous temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate will often be above the normal dog values while at the vet. 

 Vaccines: Vaccinations are important for kinkajous. They need to be vaccinated for rabies and most vets will give both dog and cat combination vaccines as well. There are several options for vaccination protocol, and this will be important to discuss with your vet. 

 (Note from Kinkatopia: This is a controversial topic: to vaccinate or not? Please gather all the information and make the best choice with all the facts in hand.) 

 Vets that treat kinks: Most exotic animal veterinarians are willing to see kinkajous, especially if they already have experience with similar animals like raccoons or coatimundis. There are also several board certified exotic mammal veterinarians throughout the nation. You can find one near you using this link https://aemv.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=5188