Comparison of five preanesthetic medicaments in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs: antagonism by 4-aminopyridine, yohimbine, and naloxone.

Effects of saline solution (groups 1, 2, and 3), xylazine (2.2 mg/kg of body weight, groups 4 and 5), acepromazine (0.1 mg/kg, groups 6 and 7), diazepam (1.0 mg/kg, groups 8 and 9), morphine (1.0 mg/kg, groups 10 and 11), or fentanyl-droperidol (0.055 ml/kg, groups 12 and 13), IM were compared in groups of atropinized dogs. Treated dogs were anesthetized to stage III, plane 2 with pentobarbital, IV. After stabilization of anesthesia, the dogs were given IV 0.5 mg of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)/kg + 0.25 mg of yohimbine/kg (groups 2, 5, 7, and 9), or 4-AP + yohimbine + 0.04 mg of naloxone/kg (groups 3, 11, and 13). Groups 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 were given saline solution instead of test antagonists. Required dosage of pentobarbital, arousal and walk times (measured from injection of antagonists), respiratory rate, and heart rate were measured. Emergence phenomena were recorded and graded as smooth, fairly smooth, smooth in some dogs to rough in other dogs, rough, or very rough. In group 1 dogs, mean arousal time (MAT) was 279.5 minutes, mean walk time (MWT) was 583.3 minutes, and emergence was rough. In groups 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, MAT was decreased by the sedatives to the range of 52 to 115.3 minutes and MWT was decreased to the range of 82.3 to 188.5 minutes. Emergence was smooth (groups 4 and 6), fairly smooth (groups 10 and 12), or smooth to rough (group 8).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)