COMPARISON OF ANESTHETIC AND CARDIORESPIRATORY EFFECTS OF DIAZEPAM-BUTORPHANOL-KETAMINE, ACEPROMAZINE-BUTORPHANOL-KETAMINE, AND XYLAZINE-BUTORPHANOL-KETAMINE IN FERRETS

Ten ferrets were used in a crossover study to determine the sedative e ffects of intramuscularly administered diazepam (3 mg/kg body weight)- butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg body weight)-ketamine (15 mg/kg body weight); a cepromazine (0.1 mg/kg body weight)-butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg body weight )-ketamine (15 mg/kg body weight); and xylazine (2 mg/kg body weight)- butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg body weight)-ketamine (15 mg/kg body weight). A ll of the ferrets became laterally recumbent following the administrat ion of each drug combination. The xylazine-butorphanol-ketamine combin ation induced significantly longer (p less than 0.05) durations of fai l-clamp analgesia (mean +/- standard deviation [SD] 81.0 +/- 19.1 min versus 20.5 +/- 25.4 min and 30.0 +/- 26.9 min), dorsal recumbency (me an +/- SD, 94.6 +/- 13.6 min versus 75.6 +/- 34.7 min and 55.2 +/- 24. 8 min), and muscle relaxation suitable for endotracheal intubation (me an +/- SD, 67.1 +/- 23.0 min versus 7.0 +/- 22.1 min and 9.5 +/- 15.4 min) than the diazepam-butorphanol-ketamine and acepromazine-butorphan ol-ketamine combinations, respectively. The recovery time from dorsal recumbency to standing was not significantly different among the three treatment groups. The heart rate was significantly lower in the xylaz ine-butorphanol-ketamine group; however, systolic blood pressure was n ot significantly different among the treatment groups. Ventilatory fun ction was more depressed in the diazepam-butorphanol-ketamine and xyla zine-butorphanol-ketamine groups than in the acepromazine-butorphanol- ketamine group. A period (approximately 45 minutes) of hypoxia was obs erved in the xylazine-butorphanol-ketamine-treated ferret. Of the thre e combinations evaluated in ferrets, xylazine-butorphanol-ketamine was concluded to be the most effective anesthetic combination. However, h ypoxemia and ventricular arrhythmias were observed in the xylazine-but orphanol-ketamine-treated ferrets, so the effectiveness of the xylazin e-butorphanol-ketamine combination should be weighed against its cardi orespiratory side effects.