Intraosseous, intranasal and intramuscular administration of butorphanol and midazolam on intraocular pressure in pigeon

Objective. This study evaluated the effects of intramuscular (IM), intraosseous (IO) and intranasal (IN) administration of midazolam and butorphanol on intraocular pressure (IOP) in pigeons (Columba livia). Material and methods. Twenty-four healthy adult pigeons, aged 1 to 2 years, with a mean weight of 494.2±22.3 g, were randomly assigned to three groups of eight. Each group received midazolam (4 mg/kg) and butorphanol (2 mg/kg) by IM, IO or IN. IOP was measured at baseline (T0) and at 5, 10, 15, 15, 20, 30 and 40 min after administration. Results. The effects of MID and BUT varied by route of administration, showing a significant decrease in mean IOP (p=0.02). No significant changes in IOP over time were observed with the IM and IN routes (p=0.95 and p=0.569, respectively). However, the IO pathway showed a statistically significant decrease at all time intervals compared to T0 (p=0.019). Conclusions. IN and IM administration of midazolam and butorphanol resulted in similar effects on IOP, while IO administration showed a significant decrease. These routes offer effective clinical options for IOP management in pigeons, providing valuable information on their use in clinical applications.