Evaluation of medetomidine hydrochloride, butorphanol tartrate, and glycopyrrolate in six military working dogs for short-term anesthesia

Military working dogs undergo sedation or anaesthesia several times per yea r. As service dogs work longer, more geriatric, but healthy, dogs are seen in military clinics. this makes it necessary to use a protocol that allows quick induction and recovery, good control of plane of anesthesia, and low risk of adverse side effects. A protocol of medetomidine, butorphanol, and glycopyrrolate was evaluated in six healthy military working dogs, with a m ean age of 9 years (median, 10 years). This protocol proved to be a very go od option for short-term anesthesia in relatively low pain procedures. This same protocol would also be useful in civilian clinics that deal with larg e coallon aggressive animals.