Combined Medetomidine and Ketamine for Short-term Anaesthesia in Ferrets -a Clinical Study

Abstract Rau‰er P., J. Zatloukal, A. Neãas, J. Lorenzová, L. Lexmaulová: Combined Medetomidine and Ketamine for Short-term Anaesthesia in Ferrets -a Clinical Study. Acta Vet. Brno 2002, 71: 243-248. In a clinical study we evaluated the quality of anaesthesia by a combination of medetomidine and ketamine given at two different doses to perform standard surgical procedures in the ferret (e.g., anal sac removal, castration or ovariohysterectomy). Ferrets were intramuscularly administered medetomidine (60 µg/kg) in a combination with ketamine given at two different doses (5 mg/kg in group A and 8 mg/kg in group B). Within several minutes all animals took up lateral recumbency, lost bottle the palpebral reflex and deep sensation except for three individuals receiving the lower ketamine dose, in which there was no deep sensation loss observed. Lower ketamin dose resulted in later loss of all evaluated parameters. It also reduced the time of their recovery (especially deep sensation). The loss of deep sensation after the higher ketamine dose was nearly twice as long as after the lower dose. Heart rate values were comparable in both groups and showed a decreasing tendency as well as the respiratory rate, which, however, differed in both groups from the 30 th min of anaesthesia. The combination of medetomidine and ketamine is very effective for the anaesthesia in ferrets regarding the duration, myorelaxation and analgesia. Prolongation of this anaesthesia is possible with half ketamine doses. α-adrenergic drugs; dissociative anesthetic

Changes of Vital Parameters after Administration of Butorphanol during Tiletamine-Zolazepam-Ketamine-Xylazine Anaesthesia for Joint Surgery in Miniature Pigs

The study compares the effects of butorphanol in pigs undergoing joint surgery in tiletamine-zolazepam-ketamine-xylazine (TKX) anaesthesia. A total of 12 pigs were divided into 2 groups by 6 animals - BUT (anaesthetized with TKX combination and butorphanol) and CON (control group - anaesthetized with TKX combination only). All pigs were sedated with a mix of tiletamin-zolazepam-ketamin-xylazin, put into total anaesthesia using propofol, and connected to an anaesthesiology unit (O2-Air). For 40 min we logged the heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), haemoglobin saturation by oxygen (SpO2) and end-tidal CO2 concentration (ETCO2) values. Ten minutes after connecting to the devices, the pigs in the BUT group were intravenously administered butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg) in the total volume of 2 ml, or physiological saline in the same volume. The pigs in the BUT group had a lower (p th, 10th and 25th min, and a lower RR in the 10th, 15th and 20th min. MAP, ETCO2 and SpO2 values did not differ substantially. Butorphanol can thus be identified as a suitable analgesic TKX supplement to anaesthesia of miniature pigs with minimum effect on vital functions