Effects of acepromazine and butorphanol on tiletamine-zolazepam anesthesia in llamas.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate sedative, antinociceptive, and physiologic effects of acepromazine and butorphanol during tiletamine-zolazepam (TZ) anesthesia in llamas.


METHODS
5 young adult llamas.


METHODS
Llamas received each of 5 treatments IM (1-week intervals): A (acepromazine, 0.05 mg/kg), B1 (butorphanol, 0.1 mg/kg), AB (acepromazine, 0.05 mg/kg, and butorphanol, 0.1 mg/kg), B2 (butorphanol, 0.2 mg/kg), or C (saline [0.9% NaCl] solution). Sedation was evaluated during a 30-minute period prior to anesthesia with TZ (2 mg/kg, IM). Anesthesia and recovery characteristics and selected cardiorespiratory variables were recorded at intervals. Antinociception was assessed via a toe-clamp technique.


RESULTS
Sedation was not evident following any treatment. Times to sternal and lateral recumbency did not differ among treatments. Duration of lateral recumbency was significantly longer for treatment AB than for treatment C. Duration of antinociception was significantly longer for treatments A and AB, compared with treatment C, and longer for treatment AB, compared with treatment B2. Treatment B1 resulted in a significant decrease in respiratory rate, compared with treatment C. Compared with treatment C, diastolic and mean blood pressures were lower after treatment A. Heart rate was increased with treatment A, compared with treatment B1 or treatment C. Although severe hypoxemia developed in llamas anesthetized with TZ alone and with each treatment-TZ combination, hemoglobin saturation remained high and the hypoxemia was not considered clinically important.


CONCLUSIONS
Sedation or changes in heart and respiratory rates were not detected with any treatment before administration of TZ. Acepromazine alone and acepromazine with butorphanol (0.1 mg/kg) prolonged the duration of antinociception in TZ-treated llamas.
Prado
Tulio M
TM
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
Doherty
Tom J
TJ
Boggan
Elizabeth B
EB
Airasmaa
Hanna M
HM
Martin-Jimenez
Tomas
T
Rohrbach
Barton W
BW
D000075:Acepromazine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D002077:Butorphanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002161:Camelids, New World; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D013992:Tiletamine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015041:Zolazepam / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D013992:Tiletamine; D000075:Acepromazine; D015041:Zolazepam; D002077:Butorphanol