title: Long-acting intramuscular anesthetic regimen for swine.
abstract: A two-stage, long-acting, injectable anesthetic regimen which provided pain-free restraint for swine was developed using nine mixed-breed domestic pigs. Each animal was administered a first-stage drug combination consisting of meperidine hydrochloride and azaperone in the caudal thigh muscles, followed after 20 minutes by a second-stage group of injections consisting of ketamine hydrochloride combined with morphine sulfate in the same muscles of the opposite leg. A mean surgical anesthetic time of 60.6 +/- 18.6 minutes was achieved with this regime and it was found that total anesthetic time could be doubled by a second injection of the ketamine and morphine components alone. All animals had a rapid, uneventful recovery. This combination regime not only provided reliable, long-acting anesthesia but was administered easily, required no tracheal intubation and produced no significant changes in the animals' heart rate or body temperature during the anesthetic period.
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D001376:Azaperone; D001831:Body Temperature; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000662:veterinary; D007649:Ketamine; D008297:Male; D008614:Meperidine; D009020:Morphine; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D001376:Azaperone; D007649:Ketamine; D009020:Morphine; D008614:Meperidine