What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess sedation levels in horses following pharmacopuncture with dexmedetomidine at acupoint GV-24 compared to aquapuncture and other administration routes.

February 8, 2026American Journal of Veterinary Research0 citationsOpen Access

Pharmacopuncture with low-dose dexmedetomidine and saline aquapuncture at acupoint Governing Vessel 24 provides sedation in healthy adult horses

CFCorentin FaugierUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison LSLindsey B. C. SnyderUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison MHMeredith HyunUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison

Key Points

To assess sedation levels in horses following pharmacopuncture with dexmedetomidine at acupoint GV-24 compared to aquapuncture and other administration routes.
10 adult mares underwent four treatments in a randomized, crossover design
Evaluated sedation using facial sedation scale and equine sedation scale
Measured head height, pulse rate, and respiratory rate at specified time points after treatment
Compared sedation scores across treatment groups using Wilcoxon signed rank test
No significant differences in sedation scores among treatment groups at all time points
Facial sedation scores significantly increased from baseline for dexmedetomidine and saline groups at various times
Equine sedation scores showed significant increases for dexmedetomidine and saline treatments at specific time points
Head height significantly lowered in the dexmedetomidine treatment groups at certain times

Abstract

Abstract Objective To evaluate sedation in horses following pharmacopuncture with dexmedetomidine at acupoint Governing Vessel 24 (GV-24) compared to aquapuncture at GV-24 or an equivalent dose of dexmedetomidine administered via IV or SC routes. Methods 10 adult mares received 4 treatments in a blinded, randomized, crossover design: (1) dexmedetomidine administered at GV-24 (DexmedGV24; 1 μg/kg); (2) saline administered at GV-24 (SalineGV24; 1.5 mL); (3) dexmedetomidine administered SC on the lateral neck (DexmedSC; 1 μg/kg); or (4) dexmedetomidine administered IV (DexmedIV; 1 μg/kg). Sedation scores (facial sedation scale FaceSed and equine sedation scale EquiSed), head height above ground, pulse rate, and respiratory rate were collected at baseline and 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 minutes after treatment (T5, T15, T30, T45, T60, and T90). Head height above ground, FaceSed, and EquiSed were compared with a pairwise Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results There were no significant differences in sedation scores between treatment groups at any time points. When compared to baseline, the FaceSed scores were significantly higher at all time points in DexmedGV24 and SalineGV24; at T15, T30, T60, and T90 in DexmedSC; and at T5, T15, T30, T45, and T60 in DexmedIV. The EquiSed scores were significantly higher at T5 and T60 in DexmedGV24; at T30 and T45 in SalineGV24; at T45, T60, and T90 in DexmedSC; and at T5, T15, T30, T45, and T60 in DexmedIV. Head height was significantly lowered at T60 in DexmedGV24 and at T5, T30, T45, and T60 in DexmedIV. Conclusions Pharmacopuncture with dexmedetomidine at GV-24 provided sedation with no significant difference compared to SC administration, IV administration, or aquapuncture at GV-24. Clinical Relevance Pharmacopuncture with dexmedetomidine or saline aquapuncture at GV-24 is an alternative route for sedation in horses.

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