Responses of rabbits to concurrent administration of Furosemide and Xylazine-Ketamine

Abstract

The intramuscular (IM) administrations of 5 mg/kg xylazine, followed 30 min later by IM of 35 mg/kg ketamine alone (XK) or concurrently with IM of 1 mg/kg furosemide (XKF), were assessed in six healthy rabbits (4 bucks and 2 does) using selected anaesthetic indices (time to onset of anaesthesia, time to onset of analgesia, duration of analgesia, duration of recumbency/anaesthesia, and time to standing) as well as changes in heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT) immediately following the loss of righting reflex and subsequently at 10 min intervals over a 60 min period of anaesthesia. Time to onset of anaesthesia with XKF group (4.4±1.5 min) was not significantly (P>0.05) different from that with XK group (4.6±0.9 min). Time to onset of analgesia with XKF rabbits (11.6±4.1 min) was similar to that with XK rabbits (11.2±2.0min). Duration of analgesia with XKF group (20.0±1.4min) was significantly s h o r t e r t h a n t h a t w i t h X K g r o u p (29.6±4.0min).The respective duration of recumbency/anaesthesia and time to standing with XKF group (79.6±7.7 min and 26.2±1.5 min) were significantly longer than those with XK group (61.4±7.5 min and 6.6±2.2 min). With XKF group, respective ranges of the mean HR, RR and RT were from 110.4±5.5 to 130.4±10.0 beats/min, 78.4±16.5 to 112.0±6.2 breaths/min and from 39.9±0.2 to 40.1 ± 0.2°C; while respective values with XK group were from 92.4±1.0 to 98.0±2.6 beats/min, 49.6±11.1 to 74.3±7.8 breaths/min and from 39.4±0.6 to 40.0±0.3°C. The mean values of HR and RR with XKF were significantly higher than those with the XK, whereas values of RT with both groups were similar throughout the period of the trials. It was concluded that administration of furosemide concurrently with xylazine-ketamine anaesthesia in healthy rabbits prolonged the duration of anaesthesia though it shortens the duration of analgesia.

KEY WORDS: anaesthesia, concurrent, furosemide, ketamine, rabbits, xylazine