Segmental dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia has been considered difficult to perform. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not it is difficult for beginners to learn how to do modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia of cattle. Thirty cattle were divided into two groups, young (n = 8) and adult (n = 22), according to their age and body weight, and 0.12% new methylene blue (NMB) was injected into the first interlumbar (L1.L2) epidural space by four fifth-year veterinary school students who had never performed this method. After a 1 hour lecture on the modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia procedure which included basic anatomy and skills, each student successfully performed the procedure. In the young group, the NMB solution was distributed between the periosteum and the epidural fat (BPF) in one half and between the epidural fat and the dura mater (BFD) in the other half of the cattle. In about 60% (13/22) of the adult group, the NMB solution distributed as BFD type. This study showed that the modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia procedure is easy for beginners to perform if they overcome their fear about the deeper insertion of the epidural needle with basic anatomical knowledge and a little experience.
Age Factors ; Anesthesia, Epidural/methods/*veterinary ; Animals ; *Cattle ; Education, Veterinary/*methods ; Epidural Space ; Female ; Humans ; Methylene Blue/pharmacology ; Random Allocation

The present study was performed to determine the accuracy and reproducibility of calculating the mitral regurgitant orifice area with the proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method in dogs with experimental mitral regurgitation and in canine patients with chronic mitral insufficiency and to evaluate the effect of general anesthesia on mitral regurgitation. Eight adult, Beagle dogs for experimental mitral regurgitation and 11 small breed dogs with spontaneous mitral regurgitation were used. In 8 Beagle dogs, mild mitral regurgitation was created by disrupting mitral chordae or leaflets. Effective regurgitant orifice (ERO) area was measured by the PISA method and compared with the measurements simultaneously obtained by quantitative Doppler echocardiography 4 weeks after creation of mitral regurgitation. The same procedure was performed in 11 patients with isolated mitral regurgitation and in 8 Beagle dogs under two different protocols of general anesthesia. ERO and regurgitant stroke volume (RSV) by the PISA method correlated well with values by the quantitative Doppler technique with a small error in experimental dogs (r = 0.914 and r = 0.839) and 11 patients (r = 0.990 and r = 0.996). The isoflurane anesthetic echocardiography demonstrated a significant decrease of RSV, and there was no significant change in fractional shortening (FS), ERO area, LV end-diastolic and LV end-systolic volume. ERO area showed increasing tendency after ketamine-xylazine administration, but not statistically significant. RSV, LV end-systolic and LV end-diastolic volume increased significantly (p < 0.01), whereas FS significantly decreased (p < 0.01). The PISA method is accurate and reproducible in experimental mitral regurgitation model and in a clinical setting. ERO area is considered and preferred as a hemodynamic-nondependent factor than other traditional measurements.
Anesthesia, Rectal ; Animals ; Body Surface Potential Mapping/*veterinary ; Chordae Tendineae/physiopathology/surgery ; Dog Diseases/diagnosis/*physiopathology ; Dogs ; Echocardiography, Doppler/veterinary ; Electrocardiography/veterinary ; Mitral Valve/*physiopathology ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency/diagnosis/physiopathology/*veterinary

This study was performed to compare the effect of intratesticular (IT) injection of xylazine/ketamine combination for canine castration with those of intramuscular (IM) or intravenous (IV) injection. Xylazine and ketamine was administered simultaneously via intratesticularly (IT group), intramuscularly (IM group) or intravenously (IV group) at doses of 2 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. Pain response at the time of injection, mean induction time, mean arousal time, mean walking time and cardiopulmonary function during anesthesia were monitored after the xylazine and ketamine administration. In IV and IM groups, heart rates were significantly decreased 30 and 45 min after xylazine and ketamine administration, respectively (p < 0.05). Respiratory rates were significantly decreased in the IV group (p < 0.05). In the IT group, there was no significant changes in heart and respiratory rates. The occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias was less severe in IT group compared with those in IM and IV groups. The route of administration did not affect rectal temperature. Mean induction time was significantly (p < 0.05) longer in IT group than in IM and IV groups. On the contrary, mean arousal time and mean walking time were shortened in IT group. Clinical signs related to pain response at the time of injection and vomiting were less observed in IT group than in IM group, and head shaking was less shown in IT group than in IM and IV groups during recovery period. These results indicated that intratesticular injection of xylazine/ketamine for castration has several advantages such as less inhibition of cardiopulmonary function and fast recovery from anesthesia without severe complications, and would be an effective anesthetic method for castration in small animal practice.
Anesthesia, Intravenous/veterinary ; Anesthetics, Combined/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Anesthetics, Dissociative/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Animals ; Body Temperature/drug effects ; Castration/*veterinary ; Dogs ; Drug Administration Routes/veterinary ; Electrocardiography/drug effects/veterinary ; Heart Rate/drug effects ; Injections/veterinary ; Injections, Intramuscular/veterinary ; Ketamine/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Pain, Postoperative/prevention&control/veterinary ; Pulmonary Ventilation/drug effects ; Testis/*drug effects ; Vomiting/chemically induced/veterinary ; Xylazine/adverse effects/*therapeutic use

Blood pressure (BP) measurement plays a pivotal role in veterinary medicine for diagnosing cardiovascular disorders and monitoring anesthesia of animals. Although indirect BP measurement has been widely applied to monitor BP because of its convenience and non-invasiveness, it is still unclear whether indirect BP measurement is compatible with direct BP measurement in minipigs. In addition, the effect of animal posture during BP measurement is not well understood in minipigs despite its importance to cardiovascular performance. Therefore, both systolic and diastolic arterial BPs in minipigs were measured via femoral artery catheterization for direct BP measurement and using a compressive cuff as an indirect BP measurement under the dorsal or right lateral recumbent postures. Numerical values were processed by the Bland-Altman method to calculate the bias ± SD and the limits of agreement (LOA). In accordance with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine guidelines, the results between direct and indirect BP measurements were determined as apparent disagreements in both systolic and diastolic arterial BPs under all postures because of large bias ± SD and wide LOA. The results of the present will help prevent misinterpretation of the anesthetized patient's condition during monitoring of BP by indirect measurement.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Blood Pressure ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Femoral Artery ; Internal Medicine ; Loa ; Methods ; Posture ; Swine, Miniature ; Veterinary Medicine

The effects of vitamin C on ketamine anesthesia was studied. In normal rabbits the onset and duration of ketamine induced anesthesia were 6.0+/-0.5 and 36.0+/-0.9 min, respectively. Pre-treatment of rabbits with 30, 60 and 240 mg/kg, i.m. of vitamin C followed by ketamine 40 mg/ kg i.m. resulted in significant (p<0.05)decrease in the onset and increase in duration of ketamine anesthesia to 5.0 +/-0.06 and 37.0+/-0.7;4.0 +/-0.5 and 39.0*0.6;2.0+/-2.3 and 44.0+/-0.8 min, respectively. There was also significant (p<0.05)decrease in the heart rates in the animals treated with vitamin C and ketamine combinations. Serum analysis showed a significant (p<0.05)increase in blood glucose. The observed decreased in serum calcium and phosphorous following ketamine injection was prevented by pretreatment with vitamin C. These results suggest that vitamin C at higher doses could potentiate ketamine anesthesia in rabbits.
Anesthesia/*veterinary ; Anesthesia, General/*veterinary ; *Anesthetics, Dissociative ; Animals ; Ascorbic Acid/*therapeutic use ; Bicarbonates/blood ; Blood Glucose/drug effects ; Body Temperature/drug effects ; Calcium/blood ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Heart Rate/drug effects ; *Ketamine ; Male ; Oxygen/blood ; Premedication/*veterinary ; *Rabbits ; Respiration/drug effects

In acupuncture practice of animals, preanesthetics sometimes are needed. The purpose of this study was to select the ideal chemical restraint at acupuncture for gastric motility. Nine healthy mixed breed dogs weighed 10-21 kg and aged 1-3 years old were used in this study. Two EMG surface electrodes were placed between the seromuscular and the mucosal layer of pylorus. Twenty minutes after feeding normal gastric motility was recorded for 60 minutes using physiograph (Narco-Biosystem). Then preanesthetic treated-gastric motility was observed for 30 minutes. Preanesthetics used were xylazine, diazepam, and acepromazine. Acupuncture needles were inserted to BL-21 (Wei-Yu) acupoint, and then changes of gastric motility were recorded for 60 minutes. The gastric motility following xylazine administration (1 mg/kg, IV) was markedly decreased. BL-21 (Wei-Yu) acupoints stimulation did not alter xylazine-induced depression of gastric motility. The diazepam (1 mg/kg IV) treated-gastric motility was increased mildly 20 minutes after drug administration. BL-21 (Wei-Yu) acupoint stimulation after diazepam administration enhanced gastric motility significantly. The gastric motility following acepromazine (0.3 mg/kg, IM) administration was not changed compared with normal gastric motility. Application of traditional acupuncture at BL-21 (Wei-Yu) significantly increased the gastric motility. Based on these results, acepromazine and diazepam could be acceptable chemical restraints for acupuncture therapy of gastric motility, but xylazine couldn't be.
Acepromazine ; Acupuncture/*standards ; *Acupuncture Points ; Adjuvants, Anesthesia ; Adrenergic alpha-Agonists ; Animals ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Atropine ; Diazepam ; Dogs/*physiology ; Dopamine Antagonists ; Electromyography/veterinary ; Gastrointestinal Motility/drug effects/*physiology ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Metoclopramide ; Parasympatholytics ; Preanesthetic Medication/standards/*veterinary ; Xylazine

This study describes the successful use of modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia with a fixed volume of anesthetic in a bovine referral center. Among the 130 Holstein cattle scheduled for flank surgery, 90 cattle received a mixed anesthetic consisting of 1 ml of xylazine hydrochloride and 3 ml of lidocaine hydrochloride by modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia. Eighteen cattle with dehydration and/or lameness received a mixed anesthetic containing 0.5 ml of xylazine and 3 ml of lidocaine. Infiltration anesthesia was performed in 22 cattle whose epidural space could not be reached in order to perform the flank surgery. The surgeries began about 12 min after the administration of the anesthetic and lasted for about 36 min. The modified method using a fixed volume of anesthetic was successfully introduced and effectively used in a bovine referral center. This modified method will allow veterinarians to save time and effort, thus lowering the cost of each surgery.
Anesthesia, Epidural/methods/*veterinary ; Anesthetics, Local/*administration & dosage ; Animals ; Cattle/*surgery ; Epidural Space ; Female ; Lidocaine/*administration & dosage ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Xylazine/*administration & dosage

The effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) and on the cardiovascular system were evaluated with dogs under isoflurane anesthesia. Eight healthy male beagles were randomly assigned to six study groups (five heads/group) with washout intervals of 7 ~ 31 days between experiments for recovery and anesthetic clearance. MAC of isoflurane and cardiovascular parameters were determined after EA at nonacupoint and and at acupoints LI-4, SP-6, ST-36 and TH-8. Electroacupuncture for 30 minutes at LI-4, SP-6, ST-36 and TH-8 acupoints lowered the MAC of isoflurane by 17.5 +/- 3.1%, 21.3 +/- 8.0%, 20.5 +/- 8.2% and 15.6 +/- 3.1%, respectively (p < 0.05). However, electrical stimulation of nonacupoint did not induce a significant change in MAC of isoflurane. In the cardiovascular system, the ST-36 group did not induce any significant change in cardiovascular parameters. In the TH-8 group, the mean and diastolic arterial pressure and the systemic vascular resistance were decreased. In the LI-4 group, cardiac output and cardiac index decreased after EA. These results indicate that EA at LI-4, SP-6 and ST-36 have advantages in isoflurane anesthesia in terms of reducing the dose of anesthetics and minimizing cardiovascular side effects.
Anesthesia, Inhalation/adverse effects/*veterinary ; Anesthetics, Inhalation/*pharmacokinetics/pharmacology ; Animals ; Blood Pressure/drug effects ; Cardiac Output ; Dogs/*metabolism/physiology ; Electroacupuncture/*veterinary ; Heart Rate/drug effects ; Isoflurane/*pharmacokinetics/pharmacology ; Male ; Pulmonary Alveoli/*metabolism ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure/drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Vascular Resistance/drug effects