title: Sedation and mechanical antinociception after intravenous administration of detomidine in donkeys: a dosage-effect study.
abstract: There is limited, useful, scientific information on detomidine in donkeys. This study compared the effects of intravenous saline, detomidine (10, 13.5, 17 and 20 μg/kg) and acepromazine (50 μg/kg) in donkeys by computing areas under the curve for 0-30, 30-60 and 60-120 minutes (AUC0-30, AUC30-60 and AUC60-120) for sedation scores, head heights and mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs). For sedation scores, all detomidine treatments, except 10 μg/kg, increased AUC0-30 values compared with saline, and AUC0-30 values were larger for 17 μg/kg detomidine than for acepromazine. All head height AUC values were lower for detomidine than for saline (except AUC60-120 for 10 μg/kg detomidine) and acepromazine (except AUC0-30 for 10 and 20 μg/kg detomidine, and AUC60-120 for 10 μg/kg detomidine). For MNTs, all detomidine treatments increased AUC0-30 and AUC30-60 values compared with saline and acepromazine; AUC30-60 values were smaller for 10 μg/kg than for 17 and 20 μg/kg detomidine. MNT AUC60-120 values were larger for 20 μg/kg detomidine than for saline, 10 μg/kg detomidine and acepromazine. Detomidine induced sedation and antinociception, but only antinociception was dosage dependent. Selection of detomidine dosage for donkeys may depend on the required duration of sedation and/or degree of analgesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lizarraga
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castillo-Alcala
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
authors.forename: Kelley M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Varner
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 334, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
authors.forename: Lauren S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000075:Acepromazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000662:veterinary*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018397:Equidae / Q000502:physiology*; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059225:Nociception / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles; D000075:Acepromazine; C041255:detomidine
keywords: Analgesia; Central nervous system (CNS); Nociception; Pain; Pharmacology