LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Local health officials say medetomidine, a powerful veterinary sedative known as “rhino tranq,” has been detected in Southern Nevada’s illicit drug supply.
The Southern Nevada Health District identified the drug through its community surveillance program, which anonymously tests used drug paraphernalia. Five positive samples have been confirmed since July 1, 2025, though the substance represents less than 1% of all samples collected since September 2024.
Medetomidine is a veterinary sedative similar to xylazine but significantly more potent—100 to 200 times stronger—and capable of producing longer-lasting sedation, a dangerously low heart rate, and more severe withdrawal symptoms. While not an opioid itself, the drug has surfaced in the local illicit drug supply primarily mixed with fentanyl…