The Use of Xylazine or Acepromazine Does Not Interfere in the Lameness Evaluation by Inertial Sensors

• The DIFFMAX and DIFFMIN variables showed no difference before and after treatments.
• The xylazine treatment did not interfere with gait analysis in lame horses.
• The acepromazine treatment did not interfere with gait analysis in lame horses.

The purpose was to investigate the influence of the use of acepromazine and xylazine in the gait pattern of horses with different behavior, submitted to lameness evaluation using inertial sensors. Sixteen adult horses with different lameness degree were used. On the first day, the horses were pulled at the trot in a straight line before and 5 minutes after administering acepromazine (0.025 mg/kg IV). The next day, the tests were repeated using xylazine (0.25 mg/kg). The data a1/a2, DIFFMAX, and DIFFMIN of the forelimb and hind limb were based on specific algorithms for Lameness Locator. The occurrence of lameness (before and after treatment) was evaluated by Fisher exact test. To analyze the DIFFMAX and DIFFMIN variables, the Wilcoxon test was used. The number of sound horses and presenting forelimb lameness before and after the use of acepromazine remained the same (seven sound and nine lame horses); in hind limbs, there were five sound and 11 lame horses before treatment and eight sound and eight lame horses after treatment. The number of horses considered sound and with forelimb lameness before treatment with xylazine was eight horses for each condition; seven were lame after treatment and nine were sound. Four horses were sound and 12 had hind limb lameness before treatment with xylazine; after treatment, nine were lame and seven remain sound. DIFFMAX and DIFFMIN of fore and hind limbs showed no difference. The use of a tranquilizer or sedative did not interfere with the gait and lameness of horses with different behavior and lameness intensity, evaluated by inertial sensors.