Gastric emptying and intestinal transit times of radiopaque markers in cats fed a high-fiber diet with and without low-dose intravenous diazepam

Reference ranges for gastric emptying time (GET), small intestinal transit time (SITT), and colonic transit time of 1.5-mm and 5-mm radiopaque markers in healthy cats fed a high-fiber meal were determined, and the influence o f low-dose diazepam intravenous injection on the gastrointestinal transit o f the markers was examined. The mean GETs and SITTs, and the mean residence times (MRTs) and geometric centers (GCs) of markers in the colon were dete rmined. The effect of intravenous diazepam injection and marker size on the se parameters was examined. Diazepam injection had no significant influence on gastrointestinal transit. The GETs of the 1.5-mm markers were significa ntly more rapid than those of the 5.0-mm markers. There were no significant differences between the SITTs or GCs of the 1.5-mm and 5.0-mm markers, Ref erence values were developed for GET, SITT, and colonic transit of radiopaq ue markers for cats fed a high-fiber meal, Diazepam injection had no effect on these parameters.