Paravertebral block with lignocaine-bupivacaine mixture in goats

Loco-regional anaesthesia and sedation protocols are becoming more popular in ruminant. This research compared some effects of xylazine or acepromazine in combination with lignocaine-bupivacaine mixture for paravertebral nerve block in goats. Twenty adult, apparently healthy West African Dwarf goats were randomly allocated to two groups (five males and five females each). Each group received either xylazine (0.05 mg/kg) + 2 % lignocaine (2mg/kg) – 0.5 % bupivacaine (0.95 mg/kg) mixture (XLB) or acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg) + lignocaine-bupivacaine mixture (ALB). Clinical parameters were recorded immediately (0 minutes) and at 10-minute intervals for an hour and 24 hours. Venipuncture was carried out via jugular vein for haematology before administration of drug (B0), 30 minutes (B30), 60 minutes (B60) and 24 hours (B24). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented as mean and standard deviation at a significance level of 0.05. The onset of deep sedation following administration of acepromazine was 31.5 ± 0.97, while it was 2.90 ± 0.57 for xylazine. Acepromazine significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the rectal temperatures (RT) of the goats within the first 20 minutes and significantly reduced the respiratory rates of the goats when compared to xylazine. None of the drugs significantly altered the heart rate of the goats. None of the changes in haematological parameters was statistically significant across the sampling time frame. However, red cell parameters (Packed cell volume, red blood cell count, and haemoglobin concentration) and Lymphocyte count were significantly depressed after XLB administration. All the haematological changes were restored to pre-anaesthetic values after 24hours. This study demonstrates that xylazine can be a beneficial alternative and desirable for emergencies in minor ruminant sedation