The study was conducted in 9 healthy adult goats of either sex, weighing 15-20 kg, to evaluate and compare the clinicophysiological effects of spinally administered
ketamine alone and in combination with
xylazine and
medetomidine. Nine trials each of the three treatments were conducted randomly by injecting
ketamine (2.5 mg/kg) (n = 9),
ketamine and
xylazine (2.5 mg/kg and 0.05 mg/kg) (n = 9) and
ketamine and
medetomidine (2.5 mg/kg and 10 microg/kg) (n = 9). The drugs were administered at the lumbosacral subarachnoid space under strict aseptic conditions. The treatments were evaluated on the basis of clinicophysiological, haematological, biochemical and haemodynamic observations.
Ketamine produced mild to moderate
analgesia of the hindquarters. Its combination with either
xylazine or
medetomidine produced complete
analgesia of the hindquarters for 45-60 min.
Ataxia was moderate in the
ketamine group, whereas animals attained sternal recumbency in the combination groups. A moderate degree of sedation was recorded in the combination groups. Heart rate and respiratory rate depression in the combination groups and heart rate and respiratory rate stimulation in
ketamine group were recorded. Haematological parameters decreased in all the groups. Increase in serum
glucose,
creatinine and
urea nitrogen was recorded in all the groups. Serum
electrolytes did not show any significant change. The results showed that the combination of
ketamine with
xylazine or
medetomidine at these dose rates produced a comparable degrees of
analgesia of hindquarters with transient and minimal cardiopulmonary side effects.