DEXMEDETOMIDINE VS ACEPROMAZINE AS PRE-ANAESTHETIC AGENTS IN ASA III DOGS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY USING PROPOFOL INDUCTION AND ISOFLURANE MAINTENANCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/abr.2026.28.01.4Keywords:
Acepromazine, blood pressure, dexmedetomidine, heart rate, isoflurane, premedication, propofolAbstract
Balanced general anaesthesia is pre-requisite for surgical interventions in dogs. The present study was aimed to compare dexmedetomidine and acepromazine premedication in combination with butorphanol and glycopyrrolate in propofol-anesthetised and isoflurane-maintained ASA III dogs. A randomised clinical study was done on 21 dogs. Group 1 included 9 dogs pre-anesthetised with butorphanol (0.2 mg kg-1) + dexmedetomidine (10 µg kg1) + glycopyrrolate (0.01 mg kg-1) combination, while group 2 included 12 dogs pre anesthetised with butorphanol (0.2 mg kg-1) + acepromazine (0.05 mg kg-1) + glycopyrrolate (0.01 mg kg-1) combination, intramuscularly. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol 2-4 mg kg-1, intravenous, and was maintained with isoflurane mixed in 100% oxygen. Heart rate, respiration rate, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen supplementation, isoflurane requirement and end tidal CO2 were noted every 10 min. Post-induction apnoea was common in group 1. The oxygen flow rate and isoflurane requirements were high in group 2 throughout the surgery. Significant bradycardia was recorded after premedication in both the groups, which was more profound in group 1. Group 2 showed tachycardia after induction with propofol. The blood pressure increased significantly post-induction in group 1, while group 2 showed sustained hypotension. The recovery was faster in group 1, although the quality of recovery was similar in both the groups. In conclusions, dexmedetomidine (10 µg kg-1) produced profound sedation and faster recovery than acepromazine in ASA III dogs. Both the combinations were safe for ASA III dogs however, with prominent cardiovascular effect of drugs recorded in ASA III dogs, a reduction in dose or change in protocol (induction agent) is recommended.Downloads
References
Aantaa, R., Jaakola, M. L., Kallio, A., & Kanto, J. (1997). Reduction of the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane by dexmedetomidine. Anesthesiology, 86(5), 1055–1060.
Barletta, M., Austin, B. R., Ko, J. C., Payton, M. E., Weil, A. B., & Inoue, T. (2011). Evaluation of dexmedetomidine and ketamine in combination with opioids as injectable anaesthesia for castration in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 238(9), 1159–1167.
Bigby, S. E., Beths, T., Bauquier, S., & Carter, J. E. (2017). Post-induction apnoea in dogs premedicated with acepromazine or dexmedetomidine and anaesthetized with alfaxalone or propofol. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 44(5), 1007–1015.
Cattai, A., Rabozzi, R., Ferasin, H., Isola, M., & Franci, P. (2018). Haemodynamic changes during propofol induction in dogs: New findings and approach of monitoring. BMC Veterinary Research, 14(1), 282. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-018-1608-8
Gallanosa, A., Stevens, J. B., Hendrix, J. M., & Quick, J. (2025). Glycopyrrolate. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing, Treasure Island, FL, USA. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526035/
Grasso, S. C., Ko, J. C., Weil, A. B., Paranjape, V., & Constable, P. D. (2015). Hemodynamic influence of acepromazine or dexmedetomidine premedication in isoflurane-anesthetized dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 246(7), 754–764.
Mahmoud, M., & Mason, K. P. (2015). Dexmedetomidine: Review, update, and future considerations of paediatric perioperative and periprocedural applications and limitations. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 115(2), 171–182.
Martin-Flores, M., Mostowy, M. M., Pittman, E., Sakai, D. M., Mohammed, H. O., Gleed, R. D., et al. (2019). Investigation of associations between preoperative acepromazine or dexmedetomidine administration and development of arterial hypotension or bradycardia in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 255(2), 193–199.
Murrell, J. C., & Hellebrekers, L. J. (2005). Medetomidine and dexmedetomidine: A review of cardiovascular effects and antinociceptive properties in the dog. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 32(3), 117–127.
Otto, K., & Thaden, A. K. (2012). Anaesthesia, analgesia and euthanasia. In H. J. Hedrich (Ed.), The Laboratory Mouse (2nd ed., pp. 739–759). Academic Press, London, UK.
Pan, S. Y., Liu, G., Lin, J. H., & Jin, Y. P. (2021). Efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine premedication in balanced anesthesia: A systematic review and meta-analysis in dogs. Animals, 11(11), 3254. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113254
Snedecor, G. W., & Cochran, W. G. (1994). Statistical methods (8th ed.). Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA, USA.
Stocco, G., Galletti, A., Lucafò, M., Giurici, N., Curci, D., Solidoro, S., et al. (2025). Post-procedure sedation and apnea linked to ion channel variant: A case report on dexmedetomidine–propofol interaction. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 16, 1549540. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1549540
Talekar, S. H., Chaudhary, M. P., Tank, P. H., Sharma, A., & Kalaria, V. A. (2022). Clinical studies on the effect of glycopyrrolate, xylazine, acepromazine, dexmedetomidine and butorphanol in different combinations on propofol-isoflurane anaesthesia in dogs. World Journal of Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, 8(11), 162–171.
Tranquilli, J., Thurmon, C., & Grimm, A. (2007). Lumb and Jones’ Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (4th ed.). Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK.
Trimble, T., Bhalla, R. J., & Leece, E. A. (2018). Comparison of sedation in dogs: Methadone or butorphanol in combination with dexmedetomidine intravenously. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 45(5), 597–603.
