Comparison of Ketamine–Medetomidine-butorphanol and Ketamine–dexmedetomidine-butorphanol Anesthesia in Rats

We evaluated the effect of ketamine-dexmedetomidine-butorphanol (K, 80 mg/kg; D, 0.25 mg/kg, B,0.5 mg/kg) and ketamine-medetomidine-butorphanol (K, 80 mg/kg; M, 0.25 mg/kg, B,0.5 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally, during anesthesia and immediate recovery post surgical phase, in male Wistar Outbreed rats undergoing surgery for free graft sciatic nerve transplantation. Recovery was determined by first reflexes and movements.Res**ults suggest that both anaesthetic protocols were fast and long-acting, providing immobility, loss of consciousness and analgesia. During anesthesia rats subjected to ketamine-dexmedetomidine-butorphanol protocol had lower heart and respiratory rates compared with the other group (ketamine-medetomidine-butorphanol).During the immediate post surgical phase, rats subjected to ketamine-dexmedetomidine-butorphanol protocol had a slower recovery evolution, associated with higher mortality compared with ketamine-medetomidine-butorphanol.