CLINICAL USE OF DETOMIDINE HYDROCHLORIDE

The experiences of three practitioners with detomidine showed the alph a(2)-agonist to be an excellent sedative which was exceptionally usefu l for clinical work in horses. The drug rapidly sedated even hyperexci table young horses. With very few exceptions, standing restraint was a chieved with a single dose. Dosages below the minimum recommended on t he label gave adequate sedation for required procedures in most cases. Experiences supported recommendations made in the literature. The ana lgesic effect of detomidine was equally noteworthy and was proportiona te to the dose administered. In horses presented with colic, detomidin e was used for pain relief to permit examination, establish a diagnosi s, and initiate therapy. The analgesic effect was consistently rapid a nd profound, confirming results of research trials for colic pain prev iously reported. Detomidine was viewed as the drug of choice for minor surgical procedures requiring a higher degree of pain relief.