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                            Original Research
                            
                            
                            10.
                            
                            
                            Comparison of bupivacaine, xylazine and 
                            buprenorphine with ketamine combination for spinal 
                            analgesia in buffalo calves -
                            
                            
                            Rekha Pathak, K. Pratap, Amarpal, P Kinjavdekar, H.P. 
                            Aithal, Pankaj
                            Vet World. 2012; 5(12): 754-761
              
               
              
              doi: 
              10.5455/vetworld.2012.754-761
              
              
               
              
              
              
   
 
              
               
               
               
              
              
              Abstract
              
              
                            Aim: 
                            The study was undertaken to compare the clinical 
                            efficacy of lumbosacral spinal analgesia produced 
                            using bupivacaine, xylazine and buprenorphine with 
                            ketamine combination in buffalo calves. 
              
                             Materials 
                            and Methods: 36 male buffalo calves of seven to 
                            eight months of age and weighing 60 to 75 kg were 
                            used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 
                            lumbosacral spinal analgesia produced by bupivacaine 
                            0.25mg/kg, xylazine 0.05 mg/kg and buprenorphine 20 
                            µg/kg in combination with ketamine 2.5mg/ kg and 
                            divided into groups A, B and C, respectively with 12 
                            animals in each group. 
              
                             Results: The onset of 
                            analgesia in animals of group A (bupivacaine + 
                            ketamine) was 3.0±0.3 min, group B (xylazine + 
                            ketamine) was recorded as 2.6±0.4 min and group C (buprenorphine 
                            + ketamine) 4.0±0.4 min. Ketamine-bupivacaine in 
                            animals of group A produced complete analgesia of 
                            almost all the dermatomes for varying lengths of 
                            time. So also the group B except that it produced 
                            only moderate analgesia of thorax, abdomen and 
                            flank. Animals of group C produced only mild 
                            analgesia of thorax, abdomen and flank and moderate 
                            analgesia of digits , perineum, inguinal, himd limbs 
                            and tail region. The longest (>180 min.) duration of 
                            complete analgesia was recorded in animals of group 
                            A. The heart rate and respiration rate significantly 
                            decreased in group A and B than group C, so also the 
                            rectal temperature. Sedation recorded was maximum in 
                            group B fallowed by group A and least sedation 
                            scores were given by group C animals. Similiarly the 
                            scores of motor incordination was higher in group B 
                            and group A than group C. 
              
                             Conclusion: It was 
                            concluded that the combinations viz. Bupivacaine+ 
                            Ketamine and Xylazine + ketamine when given 
                            intraspinally at the lumbosacral space have similar 
                            analgesic potency on spinal administration in 
                            buffaloes. The synergism is more pronounced in 
                            xylazine-ketamine combination,whereas Buprenorphine 
                            +ketamine combination in the above said dose is a 
                            poor analgesic agent when used intraspinally at the 
                            lumbosacral space in buffalo calves. 
              
                             Keywords: 
                            buffalo calves, bupivacaine, buprenorphine, ketamine, 
                            lumbosacral, spinal, xylazine