Effects of carprofen and meloxicam with or without butorphanol on the minimum alveolar concentration of sevoflurane in dogs.

Author(s): Yamashita K, Okano Y, Yamashita M, Umar MA, Kushiro T, Muir WW

Affiliation(s): Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, Hokkaido, Japan. yamasita@rakuno.ac.jp

Publication date & source: 2008-01, J Vet Med Sci., 70(1):29-35.

Publication type: Randomized Controlled Trial

Sparing effects of carprofen and meloxicam with or without butorphanol on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane were determined in 6 dogs. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with sevoflurane in oxygen, and MAC was determined by use of a tail clamp method. The dogs were administered a subcutaneous injection of carprofen (4 mg/kg) or meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg), or no medication (control) one hour prior to induction of anesthesia. Following the initial determination of MAC, butorphanol (0.3 mg/kg) was administered intramuscularly, and MAC was determined again. The sevoflurane MACs for carprofen alone (2.10 +/- 0.26%) and meloxicam alone (2.06 +/- 0.20%) were significantly less than the control (2.39 +/- 0.26%). The sevoflurane MACs for the combination of carprofen with butorphanol (1.78 +/- 0.20%) and meloxicam with butorphanol (1.66 +/- 0.29%) were also significantly less than the control value after the administration of butorphanol (2.12 +/- 0.28%). The sevoflurane sparing effects of the combinations of carprofen with butorphanol and meloxicam with butorphanol were additive.