EFFECT OF MUSCLE INJECTION SITE AND DRUG TEMPERATURE ON PREANESTHETICSEDATION IN PIGS

The responses of 83 Meishan gilts given azaperone (1.0 mg/kg) and keta mine (5 mg/kg) intramuscularly at one of four sites: the cervical musc les (20); the triceps muscle (m triceps brachii) (20); the middle glut eal muscle (nz gluteus medius) (22); and the fascia lata muscle (m fas cia lata) (21) mere recorded. There were more reactions to the injecti on into the fascia lata muscle than to injections into the middle glut eal muscle and the triceps muscle (P=0.024) and fewest after injection s into the cervical muscles (P=0.013). The injection site did not infl uence the time from injection to recumbency but there was least variab ility with the fascia lata muscle. The degree of sedation achieved, an d the response to venous cannulation mere similar in all four groups. There mere no long-term complications (lameness or abscess formation) associated with the injections at any of the sites, In a second study with 65 pigs the same drug mixture was injected into the triceps muscl e at either 6 to 8 degrees C (23), 19 to 22 degrees C (23) or 38.5 to 40.5 degrees C (22), There was no significant difference (P=0.078) bet ween the numbers of responses to the injections at each temperature. M ean time to recumbency was shortest with the injections at the highest temperature although the differences were not statistically significa nt (P=0 498). The degree of sedation achieved, the response to venous cannulation and the incidence of complications mere similar in all thr ee groups.