Pentobarbitone inhibits the stress response to transport in male goats

Pentobarbitone (20 mg/kg i.v.) blocked plasma cortisol release when administered either before a 20 min journey or during a 2 h journey. This confirms that pentobarbitone can block stimulated, as well as resting, cortisol secretion. In general, blood glucose concentrations were not increased above 90 mg/100 ml until at least 30 min after the start of transport; however, this increase was also blocked by pentobarbitone administered 30 min into the 2 h journey. Significant increases in respiratory and heart rates occurred within 15 min of the start of transport; pentobarbitone caused an immediate decrease in these parameters. In conclusion, pentobarbitone was shown to reverse many metabolic changes induced by transport.     

Pentobarbitone as an anaesthetic agent in the Adelie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae

Thirty-two Adelie penguins were injected with sodium pentobarbitone (May & Baker). In twenty-two the intraperitoneal (IP) route alone was used and in ten both the IP and intravenous (IV) routes. The average time until the onset of surgical anaesthesia was 130 min (45-220). Four penguins died whilst under anaesthetic for unknown reasons and one from blood loss, the remaining twenty-seven survived for periods up to 13 hours and were electively killed. It is suggested that the variation in the anaesthetic induction period is due to the variation in the body fat content. One bird was left to recover and was immobile for 78 hours. In the penguin, barbiturates are presumably metabolized very slowly.
Sodium pentobarbitone (50 mg kg^-1) is recommended as an anaesthetic agent for deep surgical anaesthesia, provided that it is a nonsurvival procedure, and rapid induction is not necessary.     

Arthroscopy in the Dog

Veterinary Research Communications -