title: Clinical efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine and buprenorphine, butorphanol or diazepam for canine hip radiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the usefulness of dexmedetomidine for restraint and sedation during hip radiographic examination of hip-extended or stress-radiography views when combined with either buprenorphine, butorphanol or diazepam.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty-seven client-owned clinically healthy golden retrievers or rottweilers were enrolled in a clinical trial that compared hip-extended and PennHIP methods for diagnosing hip dysplasia and were randomly allocated to receive dexmedetomidine or medetomidine in combination with buprenorphine, butorphanol or diazepam. Subjective assessments were made for response to pain, response to noise, palpebral reflex, muscle tone and overall quality of sedation; non-invasive physiological variables were also recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall quality of sedation was graded as good or excellent for dogs administered with a combination of butorphanol or diazepam. However, more dogs that received a combination involving buprenorphine had overall a relatively poorer quality of sedation and required additional administration of buprenorphine before the radiographic procedure could commence. Once sedated, clinically sufficient muscle relaxation accompanied by a very low proportion of dogs responding to pain or noise stimuli were observed in all treatment groups. Heart and respiratory rate, and procedure and recovery times were similar for all treatment groups, and no adverse events were observed during the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dexmedetomidine sedative protocols, particularly in combination with butorphanol and diazepam, can be used effectively and safely in dogs for radiographic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki University, PO Box 57, FIN 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Leppänen
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: McKusick
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Granholm
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Westerholm
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tulamo
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Short
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002077:Butorphanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000662:veterinary*; D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003975:Diazepam / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004285:Dogs / Q000502:physiology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006619:Hip Dysplasia, Canine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000662:veterinary; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D011859:Radiography / Q000662:veterinary; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D002047:Buprenorphine; D020927:Dexmedetomidine; D003975:Diazepam; D002077:Butorphanol