A comparison of sedative effects of xylazine alone or combined with levomethadone or ketamine in calves prior to disbudding

Magdy Adam; Kati Salla; Riikka Aho; Laura Hänninen; Suvi Taponen; Marianna Norring; Marja Raekallio; Ann-Helena Hokkanen

doi:10.1016/j.vaa.2021.08.004

A comparison of sedative effects of xylazine alone or combined with levomethadone or ketamine in calves prior to disbudding

Vet Anaesth Analg. 2021 Nov;48(6):906-913. doi: 10.1016/j.vaa.2021.08.004. Epub 2021 Sep 1.

Authors

Magdy Adam¹, Kati Salla², Riikka Aho³, Laura Hänninen³, Suvi Taponen⁴, Marianna Norring³, Marja Raekallio², Ann-Helena Hokkanen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
² Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
³ Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Research Centre for Animal Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
⁴ Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
⁵ Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Research Centre for Animal Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: ann-helena.hokkanen@helsinki.fi.

PMID: 34602358
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaa.2021.08.004

Abstract

Objective: To compare the sedative effects of intramuscular xylazine alone or combined with levomethadone or ketamine in calves before cautery disbudding.

Study design: Randomized, blinded, clinical trial.

Animals: A total of 28 dairy calves, aged 21 ± 5 days and weighing 61.0 ± 9.3 kg (mean ± standard deviation).

Methods: Calves were randomly allocated to three groups: xylazine (0.1 mg kg^-1) and levomethadone (0.05 mg kg^-1; group XL), xylazine (0.1 mg kg^-1) and ketamine (1 mg kg^-1; group XK) and xylazine alone (0.2 mg kg^-1; group X). Local anaesthesia (procaine hydrochloride) and meloxicam were administered subcutaneously 15 minutes after sedation and 15 minutes before disbudding. The calves' responses to the administration of local anaesthesia and disbudding were recorded. Sedation was assessed at baseline and at intervals up to 240 minutes postsedation. Times of recumbency, first head lift and first standing were recorded. Drug plasma concentrations were measured.

Results: Data were obtained from 27 animals. All protocols resulted in sedation sufficient to administer local anaesthesia and to perform disbudding. Sedation scores significantly correlated with drug plasma concentrations (p ≤ 0.002). Times to recumbency did not differ among protocols (2.8 ± 0.3, 3.1 ± 1.1 and 2.1 ± 0.8 minutes for groups XL, XK and X, respectively), whereas interval from drug(s) administration until first head lift was significantly shorter in group XK than X (47.3 ± 14.1, 34.4 ± 5.3 and 62.6 ± 31.9 minutes for groups XL, XK and X, respectively). The area under the time-sedation curve was significantly greater in group X than XK or XL (754 ± 215, 665 ± 118 and 1005 ± 258 minutes for groups XL, XK and X, respectively).

Conclusions and clinical relevance: Levomethadone or ketamine with a low dose of xylazine produced short but sufficient sedation for local anaesthesia and disbudding with minimum resistance.

Keywords: calves; disbudding; ketamine; levomethadone; sedation; xylazine.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial, Veterinary

MeSH terms

Anesthesia, Local / veterinary
Animals
Cattle*
Horns* / surgery
Hypnotics and Sedatives / pharmacology
Ketamine* / pharmacology
Xylazine / pharmacology

Substances

Hypnotics and Sedatives
Xylazine
Ketamine