title: Evaluation of the sedative and cardiorespiratory effects of medetomidine, medetomidine-butorphanol, medetomidine-ketamine, and medetomidine-butorphanol-ketamine in ferrets.
abstract: Ten ferrets were used in a crossover study to determine the anesthetic effects of intramuscular (I.M.) medetomidine (80 microg/kg body weight), medetomidine (80 microg/kg body weight)-butorphanol (0.1 mg/kg body weight), medetomidine (80 microg/kg body weight)-ketamine (5 mg/kg body weight), and medetomidine (80 microg/kg body weight)-butorphanol (0.1 mg/kg body weight)-ketamine (5 mg/kg body weight). All ferrets assumed lateral recumbency within four minutes and remained dorsally recumbent for 100 minutes, until atipamezole (400 microg/kg body weight, I.M.) administration. All four anesthetic combinations were effective for chemical restraint, with the most respiratory depression occurring in the medetomidine-butorphanol-ketamine group. The addition of butorphanol or ketamine to medetomidine significantly increased the duration of analgesia. The addition of ketamine to medetomidine-butorphanol expedited endotracheal intubation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large/Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0136, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Heaton-Jones
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Nicklin
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002077:Butorphanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005289:Ferrets / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D020926:Medetomidine; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D007649:Ketamine; D020926:Medetomidine; D002077:Butorphanol