Effects of xylazine,romifidine, or detomidine on hematology,biochemistry, and splenic thickness in healthy horses |
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Authors: | Annie Kullmann Macarena Sanz Geoffrey T Fosgate Montague N Saulez Patrick C Page Eva Rioja |
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Institution: | Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies (Kullmann, Sanz, Saulez, Page, Rioja) and Department of Production Animal Studies (Fosgate), University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa. |
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Abstract: | Alpha-2 agonist-induced changes in packed cell volume (PCV), total solids (TS), selected biochemical parameters, and splenic thickness were investigated in horses. Four healthy mares were treated in a blinded, randomized, cross-over design with a dose of xylazine (0.5 mg/kg), romifidine (0.04 mg/kg), or detomidine (0.01 mg/kg) IV, and detomidine (0.02 mg/kg) IM. Hematology, TS, colloid osmotic pressure (COP), plasma osmolality; glucose, lactate, urea (BUN) and electrolyte concentrations; venous blood pH and ultrasonographic splenic thickness were evaluated at intervals for 300 min. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed with P < 0.05. There was a significant change over time in PCV and TS following each treatment (P < 0.001), with median (range) reductions of 20.9% (12.9% to 27.3%) and 5.8% (3.0% to 10.3%), respectively. Red blood cell count, BUN, and COP decreased while osmolality, glucose, Na+, and splenic thickness increased. Treatments induced clinically significant transient changes in PCV, TS, and other biochemical parameters, which should be considered when assessing horses that received these drugs. |
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