Comparison of azaperone-detomidine-butorphanol-ketamine and azaperone-tiletamine-zolazepam for anaesthesia in piglets.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate a combination of azaperone, detomidine, butorphanol and ketamine (DBK) in pigs and to compare it with the combination of azaperone, tiletamine and zolazepam (TZ).


METHODS
Prospective, randomized, blinded, cross-over study.


METHODS
Twelve clinically healthy crossbred pigs aged about 2 months and weighing 16-25 kg.


METHODS
Pigs were pre-medicated with azaperone (4 mg kg(-1)). Ten minutes later anaesthesia was induced with intramuscular DBK (detomidine 0.08 mg kg(-1), butorphanol 0.2 mg kg(-1), ketamine 10 mg kg(-1)) or TZ (tiletamine and zolazepam 5 mg kg(-1)). The pigs were positioned in dorsal recumbency. Heart and respiratory rates, posture, anaesthesia score, PaO(2), PaCO(2), pH and bicarbonate concentration were measured. t-test was used to compare the areas under time-anaesthesia index curve (AUC(anindex)) between treatments. Data concerning heart and respiratory rates, PaO(2), PaCO(2) and anaesthesia score were analysed with anova for repeated measurements. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for the data concerning the duration of sedation and anaesthesia.


RESULTS
The sedation, analgesia and anaesthesia lasted longer after DBK than TZ. The AUC(anscore) were 863 +/- 423 and 452 +/- 274 for DBK and TZ, respectively (p = 0.002). The duration of surgical anaesthesia lasted a median of 35 minutes (0-105 minutes) after DBK and a median of 15 minutes (0-35 minutes) after TZ (p = 0.05). Four pigs after DBK and six after TZ did not achieve the plane of surgical anaesthesia. The heart rate was lower after DBK than after TZ. Both treatments had similar effects on the other parameters measured.


CONCLUSIONS
At the doses used DBK was more effective than TZ for anaesthesia in pigs under field conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
The combinations can be used for sedation and minor field surgery in pigs. The doses and drugs chosen were insufficient to produce a reliable surgical plane of anaesthesia in these young pigs.
Heinonen
Mari L
ML
Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. mari.heinonen@helsinki.fi
Raekallio
Marja R
MR
Oliviero
Claudio
C
Ahokas
Sanna
S
Peltoniemi
Olli A T
OA
D000700:Analgesics; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D000818:Animals; D001376:Azaperone; D002077:Butorphanol; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles; D007649:Ketamine; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*; D013992:Tiletamine; D015041:Zolazepam
D000700:Analgesics; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles; D001376:Azaperone; D013992:Tiletamine; D007649:Ketamine; C041255:detomidine; D015041:Zolazepam; D002077:Butorphanol