The Veterinary record
-
The Veterinary record · Jun 1998
Clinical efficacy and safety of propofol or ketamine anaesthesia in dogs premedicated with medetomidine.
Combinations of medetomidine with either propofol or ketamine were compared for the sedation and induction of anaesthesia in dogs undergoing a variety of surgical (60 per cent) and non-surgical (40 per cent) procedures. Eighty-four dogs were used at four sites. Medetomidine was administered intramuscularly at a dose of 1000 micrograms/m2 body surface area 10 to 15 minutes before the induction of anaesthesia by the administration of propofol (n = 44) or ketamine (n = 40) dosed to effect. ⋯ The heart rate of the dogs anaesthetised with ketamine was significantly higher than that of the dogs anaesthetised with propofol, but there were no other significant physiological differences. There were 11 adverse side-effects in the ketamine group compared with five in the propofol group and they were generally more severe. The quality of the recovery from anaesthesia was considered to be smooth in 89 per cent of the propofol group but in only 63 per cent of the ketamine group.