title: Medetomidine/midazolam/ketamine anaesthesia in ferrets: effects on cardiorespiratory parameters and evaluation of plasma drug concentrations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the cardiorespiratory effects and plasma concentrations of medetomidine-midazolam-ketamine (MMK) combinations administered by intramuscular (IM) or subcutaneous (SC) injection in sable ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective randomized experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen adult ferrets: weight median 1.19 (range 0.81-1.60) kg.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals were allocated to one of three groups: group IM07 received 20 μg kg(-1) medetomidine, 0.5 mg kg(-1) midazolam and 7 mg kg(-1) ketamine IM; group IM10 20 μg kg(-1) medetomidine, 0.5 mg kg(-1) midazolam and 10 mg kg(-1) ketamine IM; and group SC10 20 μg kg(-1) medetomidine, 0.5 mg kg(-1) midazolam and 10 mg kg(-1) ketamine SC. Following instrumentation, cardiorespiratory parameters and plasma drug concentrations were measured every 5 minutes (T5-T30) for 30 minutes Ferrets were then euthanased. Data were analysed using anova for repeated measures. p<0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results are mean ± SD. Induction of anaesthesia (minutes) in IM07 and IM10 [2 (1)] was significantly faster than in SC10 [5 (2)]. All groups demonstrated the following: results given as groups IM07, IM10 and SC10 respectively. Mean arterial blood pressures (mmHg) were initially high [186 (13); 174 (33) and 174 (9) at T5] but decreased steadily. Pulse rates were initially 202 (20), 213 (17) and 207 (33) beats minute(-1) , decreasing with time. PaO(2) (mmHg) was low [54.0 (8), 47.7 (10) and 38.5 (1)] at T5, although in groups IM07 and IM10 it increased over time. Plasma concentrations of all drugs were highest at T5 (36, 794 and 8264 nmol L(-1) for medetomidine, midazolam and ketamine, respectively) and decreased thereafter: for both midazolam and ketamine, concentrations in IM07 and IM10 were higher than SC10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MMK combinations containing either 7 or 10 mg kg(-1) ketamine and given IM are suitable combinations for anaesthetising ferrets, although the observed degree of hypoxaemia indicates that oxygen administration is vital.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Preclinical Research, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany. wa.schernthaner@t-online.de
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schernthaner
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lendl
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pragst
authors.forename: Anne-Kathrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Preissel
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henke
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000662:veterinary; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous / Q000662:veterinary; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D020926:Medetomidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008874:Midazolam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010092:Oximetry / Q000662:veterinary; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D056152:Respiratory Rate / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D007649:Ketamine; D020926:Medetomidine; D008874:Midazolam; D010100:Oxygen