Effect of acepromazine as an adjuvant to ketamine, midazolam and methadone in the chemical restraint of cats

Bárbara Machado Naspolini Macarini,Bruna Pires,Gustavo Antonio Boff,Thomas Normanton Guim,Pâmela Caye,Samantha Alves Azambuja,Caroline Jede De Marco,Martielo Ivan Gehrcke,Joseana De Lima Andrades,Claudia Beatriz De Mello Mendes

doi:10.33448/rsd-v10i7.17064

Bárbara Machado Naspolini Macarini, Bruna Pires + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i7.17064

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acepromazine as an adjuvant to ketamine, midazolam and methadone in the chemical restraint and anesthesia of cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy. We allocated 14 cats in two groups: group ketamine (GK), premedicated with ketamine 8 mg/kg, midazolam 0.3 mg/kg and methadone 0.3 mg/kg and group acepromazine (GAK), premedicated with acepromazine 0.05 mg/kg in addition to the above-mentioned drugs. At baseline (T0) and every 5 mins up to 20 mins (T5, T10, T15 and T20) after premedication, the sedation score was evaluated at 0 to 24 points. The sedation score was significantly higher at T5, T10, T15 and T20 in both groups. There were no significant differences in extubation times (3.7 ± 1.3 mins in GK; 5.2 ± 2.6 mins in GAK) and the time to reach a score equal to 0 on the sedation scale (88 ± 63.9 mins in GK; 133 ± 39.7 mins in GAK); however, the time of anesthetic release was significantly higher in the GAK than in GK (19.7 ± 6.5 mins vs 11 ± 5.9 mins) (P = 0.023). Sedation was adequate in both groups. The results indicated that the administration of acepromazine did not contribute to sedation in the protocol and could delay the anesthetic release.

Highlights

When a cat has been administered a preanesthetic medication the aim is to reduce the stress of the cat and facilitate manipulation by the veterinarian, promoting chemical restraint (Volpato et al, 2014)
This action increases the heart rate, cardiac output and blood pressure (Pawson & Forsyth, 2010). These effects can be reduced with the use of an adjuvants drug, like acepromazine, because this drug is a tranquilizer that produces depression in the central nervous system, vasodilatation and antiarrhythmic effects, and these effects have already been found in studies with dogs (Rankin, 2015; Monteiro, Rabello, Rangel, 2019)
The objective of this study is to evaluate the sedative effect of acepromazine in association with ketamine, midazolam and methadone in cats subjected to elective ovariohysterectomy (OH)

Summary

Introduction

When a cat has been administered a preanesthetic medication the aim is to reduce the stress of the cat and facilitate manipulation by the veterinarian, promoting chemical restraint (Volpato et al, 2014). In the veterinary anesthetic routine, one of the most commonly used protocols for the sedation of cats when a preanesthetic is used, is the combination of ketamine, midazolam and an opioid. This combination aims to promote dissociative anesthesia, muscle relaxation, transoperative analgesia and postoperative analgesia (Fantoni & Garofalo, 2012; Moreno, 2012; Rankin, 2015). Ketamine has a depressing effect on the myocardium and it ends up stimulating the sympathetic nervous system (Ingwersen, Allen, Dyson, Pascoe, O’Grady, 1988) This action increases the heart rate, cardiac output and blood pressure (Pawson & Forsyth, 2010). These effects can be reduced with the use of an adjuvants drug, like acepromazine, because this drug is a tranquilizer that produces depression in the central nervous system, vasodilatation and antiarrhythmic effects, and these effects have already been found in studies with dogs (Rankin, 2015; Monteiro, Rabello, Rangel, 2019)

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