Evaluating acepromazine maleate in combination with xylazine and ketamine anaesthesia in gelding in equine

The clinical study on twelve healthy horses was undertaken to evaluate the sedative effect of two different doses of Acepromazine maleate prior to Xylazine and Ketamine anaesthesia. Acepromazine maleate @ 0.02 mg/ kg and 0.04 mg/ kg was used as pre-anesthetic in group I and II respectively prior to intravenous injection of Xylazine (1 mg/ kg) and Ketamine (1.5 mg/ kg). The horses of group I with Acepromazine (0.02mg/ kg) showed signs of moderate sedation within 5-7 minutes following administration, where as 0.04mg/ kg dose produced signs of moderate compared to deep sedation within 2-4 minutes. The horses of group II showed prominent signs of deep sedation as group I. Induction of anaesthesia and degree of muscle relaxation was comparatively better in group II than group I. Induction of anaesthesia occurred within 158.16±3.22 and 148.6±3.08 seconds in group I and II respectively. No significant difference in induction time was observed between group I and group II. Duration of anaesthesia occurred within 11.5±0.34 and 13.33±0.66 minutes in group I and II respectively. In both groups, duration of anaesthesia was found quite sufficient for gelding. Horses of group I recovered completely within 37.8±1.01 minutes, while horses of group II recovered within 40.5±0.85 minutes.