Veterinary Research Communications

, Volume 17, Issue 4, pp 305–312 | Cite as

Reversal of xylazine-induced sedation in dairy calves with atipamezole: A field trial

  • J. M. Arnemo
  • N. E. Søli
Pharmacology
Accepted:

Abstract

Dairy calves immobilized with xylazine (XYL) were given atipamezole-HCl (ATI) at different XYL:ATI dose ratios (w/w) for reversal and the antagonistic effect of xylazine was evaluated. Control animals received saline for comparison. Intramuscular administration of xylazine (0.139–0.357 mg/kg) induced sedation with complete immobilization in all animals (n=195) and there were no spontaneous recoveries before injection of atipamezole or saline. Atipamezole was given 10–81 min and saline 25 min after xylazine administration. Intramuscular administration of atipamezole at XYL:ATI dose ratios of 5:2 (n=11), 10:3 (n=21), 4:1 (n=21) and 5:1 (n=25) effectively antagonized the xylazine-induced immobilization and sedation. The mean times (standard deviation) from injection of atipamezole until the animals were standing for these dose ratio groups were 6.09 (3.12), 5.15 (2.87), 6.35 (2.54) and 7.86 (3.11) min, respectively. The mean time to standing for control animals (n=11) was 94.1 (3.0) min. Intravenous administration of atipamezole at XYL:ATI dose ratios of 10:3 (n=7), 4:1 (n=33), 5:1 (n=16), 8:1 (n=27) and 10:1 (n=9) rapidly reversed the xylazine-induced immobilization and sedation. The mean times (standard deviation) from injection of atipamezole until the animals were standing for these dose ratio groups were 0.98 (0.22), 1.32 (0.48), 1.09 (0.34), 1.39 (0.52) and 1.60 (0.69) min, respectively. The mean time to standing for control animals (n=14) was 88.1 (13.1) min.

Animals given high doses of atipamezole (dose ratio groups 5:2 intramuscularly, 10:3 intravenously and 4:1 intravenously) showed signs of excitement while in animals given low doses of atipamezole (dose ratio groups 5:1 intramuscularly and 10:1 intravenously) resedation and relapse into recumbency occurred. Medium doses of atipamezole (dose ratio groups 10:3 intramuscularly, 4:1 intramuscularly, 5:1 intravenously and 8:1 intravenously) did not cause any undesirable side-effects or resedation, and can be recommended for reversal of xylazine-induced sedation in dairy calves

Keywords

atipamezole dairy calves immobilization reversal sedation xylazine 

Abbreviations

ATI

atipamezole-HCl

BW

body weight

IM

intramuscular

IV

intravenous

SD

standard deviation

XYL

xylazine

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Copyright information

© Kluwer Academic Publishers bv 1993

Authors and Affiliations

  • J. M. Arnemo
    • 1
  • N. E. Søli
    • 2
  1. 1.Centre of Veterinary MedicineTromsøNorway
  2. 2.Department of Pharmacology, Microbiology and Food HygieneNorwegian College of Veterinary MedicineOsloNorway

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