2Professor, Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, College of Veterinary Sciences
3Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, College of Veterinary Sciences
4OSD to Vice Chancellor, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur (Rajasthan)
5Senior Scientist, Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, College of Veterinary Sciences
Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar-125004 (Haryana)
*Corresponding author: E-mail: hod_vsr@hau.ernet.in
1Veterianry Practitioner, Sector 23, Gurgaon
Online published on 20 December, 2012.
The study was undertaken in 12 male buffalo calves by administering atropine (0.04 mg/kg, i.m.) followed by acepromazine (0.04 mg/kg, i.m.), xylazine (0.04 mg/kg, i.v.) and ketamine (2.0 mg/kg, i.v.). The calves attained sternal recumbency with chin on ground at 1.49±0.90 min after xylazine–ketamine administration. Corneal and palpebral reflexes were lost at 8.25±0.62 min after xylazine-ketamine administration with complete analgesia at 9.33±2.44 min. Complete recovery took 48.31±2.73 min. Plasma glucose and sodium levels were significantly increased after 10 min of xylazine-ketamine administration and at recovery. Plasma potassium level was significantly lower 10 min after acepromazine administration, and remained lower at recovery and even at 24 hr after drug administration. There was significant increase in heart rate at 10 min after acepromazine administration as compared to the base value, followed by decrease at 20 min after xylazine-ketamine administration. The mean arterial pressure also showed significant decrease at 20 min after xylazine-ketamine administration. It was concluded that the combination in safe for use in buffalo calves.
Acepromazine, Atropine, Buffalo calves, Ketamine, Xylazine
