The veterinary journal
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The veterinary journal · Mar 2010
Comparative StudyPharmacokinetics and efficacy of intravenous and extradural tramadol in dogs.
Tramadol is a synthetic opioid agonist used extensively in human and, to a lesser extent, veterinary medicine throughout the world. The clinical efficacy and pharmacokinetic profile of intravenous (i.v.) and extradural (e.d.) tramadol (2 mg/kg) and its o-desmethyl metabolite were studied in dogs undergoing tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO). ⋯ The pharmacokinetic profile was similar for tramadol and its metabolite irrespective of the route of administration. E.d. tramadol provided sufficient intra- and post-operative analgesia without significant clinical side-effects, but the post-operative analgesia was comparable to that following i.v. administration and the e.d. route could therefore not be considered a practical alternative to the i.v. route.
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Clenbuterol is a beta(2)-agonist and potent selective bronchodilator that is used to treat bronchospasm in the horse. The drug is normally administered to horses orally as a syrup formulation. ⋯ A great deal of information has been published on the beneficial effects of short term therapeutic doses of clenbuterol on the equine respiratory system, although there is limited information about chronic administration, particularly since this has been associated with adverse physiological effects on other systems. This review summarizes the relevant understanding of clenbuterol for clinicians and horse owners who may administer this drug to pleasure and performance horses.
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The veterinary journal · Nov 2009
Plasma levels of a low-dose constant-rate-infusion of ketamine and its effect on single and repeated nociceptive stimuli in conscious dogs.
This study quantitatively investigated the analgesic action of a low-dose constant-rate-infusion (CRI) of racemic ketamine (as a 0.5 mg kg(-1) bolus and at a dose rate of 10 microg kg(-1) min(-1)) in conscious dogs using a nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) and with enantioselective measurement of plasma levels of ketamine and norketamine. Withdrawal reflexes evoked by transcutaneous single and repeated electrical stimulation (10 pulses, 5 Hz) of the digital plantar nerve were recorded from the biceps femoris muscle using surface electromyography. ⋯ Thereafter the plasma levels at pseudo-steady-state did not modulate temporal summation. Based on these experimental findings low-dose ketamine CRI cannot be recommended for use as a sole analgesic in the dog.
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The veterinary journal · Sep 2009
The pupillary light reflex and menace response in neonatal calves: the role of environmental isolation on development of the menace response.
The aim of this study was to investigate the development of the pupillary light reflex in neonatal calves and the effect on the development of the menace response of keeping them in individual stalls. Seventy-three Holstein calves were divided into test (n=44) and control (n=29) groups and the animals were kept in individual stalls for the first 32+/-4 and 73+/-5 days post partum, respectively. They were then moved to group pens. ⋯ Over 14 days (test group) and 12 days (control group) after the calves had been moved to the group pens they became positive to the menace response at ages 41+/-4 and 81+/-5 days, respectively. The Mann-Whitney test revealed a significant difference (P<0.001) in the ages of the calves with positive menace responses between groups. Group rearing may produce more visual threats to the eyes and the calves learn the menace response by closing the lids in response to sudden alarming movements.