Clinical evaluation of tiletamine-zolazepam with xylazine and butorphanol for short duration surgical procedures in equines

The objective of this study was to standardize dosage of tiletamine-zolazepam in combination with xylazine and butorphanol for general anaesthesia in equines and to evaluate the anaesthetic effects by monitoring cardiopulmonary and hemato-biochemical changes. Twelve healthy equines undergoing short-duration surgical procedures were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups received pre-anaesthesia with butorphanol (0.02 mg/kg, IV) and xylazine (1.1 mg/kg, IV), followed by induction with tiletamine-zolazepam at doses of 1.1mg/kg (group I) and 1.25 mg/kg (group II), intravenously. Group I experienced satisfactory anaesthesia with adequate muscle relaxation and smooth recovery, while group II showed better muscle relaxation, analgesia and recovery quality. The anaesthesia duration was 30.83±2.84 min in group I and 32.83±3.32 min in group II, sufficient for short duration surgical procedures. Recovery times were 16.16±3.09 min and 22.83±3.87 min, respectively, with group II showing a longer but better-quality recovery.