Twenty-four buffaloes suffering from various surgical affedions were randomly divided into 2 groups and were subjected to anaesthetic trials using two different drug combinations. In group I (n=10), anaesthesia was induced with midazolam (0.1 mg/kg body wt) and ketamine (4.0 mg/kg body wt) administered intravenously. In animals of group II, midazolam (0.2 mg/kg body wt, i.v.) was followed 5 min later by 5.% thiopentone sodium administered to effect. The anaesthesia was maintained with 5% thiopentone sodium in both groups. Midazolam and ketamine produced good quality induction and duration of anaesthesia was 14.9±0.77.min in animals of group I. Midazolam @ 0.2 mg/kg body wt proved to be a satisfactory preanaesthetic, and anaesthesia was induced and maintained with 5 per cent thiopentone sodium with a mean induction dose reduced to 5.0±0.8 mg/kg body wt (i.e. about 50%) in group II. The maintenance dose of thiopentone sodium was 2.17±0.17g in group I and a total dose of 3.61±0.8 g in group II for a surgery of 40.40±10.50 min duration. Both the combinations produced good surgical anaesthesia. The restoration of vital reflexes and recovery was quicker in animals of group I as compared to group II.
Anaesthesia, bovine, ketamine, midazolam, thiopentone sodium
