Cardiopulmonary effects of dexmedetomidine-butorphanol premedication, propofoldiazepam induction and isoflurane maintenance anaesthesia for surgical management of acute abdomen in dogs

In the study, twelve dogs of various ages and sexes were selected with the clinical signs of acute abdomen disorders such as abdominal pain, distension, cessation of defecation and urination, oliguria and dystocia.Dexmedetomidine and butorphanol were administered intravenously as premedicant and propofol-diazepam as intravenous induction agents.Isoflurane with a variable vaporizer setting was employed for anaesthesia maintenance.Throughout the anaesthesia period, parameters including heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, SPO2, EtCO2, tidal volume, minute volume, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were continuously monitored.After premedication and during the 30 th and 45 th minutes of anaesthesia, the heart rate decreased.The respiratory rate was significantly reduced after induction and remained low throughout the anaesthesia period.However, SpO2, EtCO2, tidal volume, and minute volume were maintained well within acceptable levels during anaesthesia.In this study, there were no anaesthetic complications or mortality, indicating the safety of the anaesthetic protocol in dogs with acute abdomen.Hence, it is concluded that special attention should be given to dogs with pre-existing cardiopulmonary abnormalities due to the potential cardiopulmonary depressant effect of the employed anaesthetic protocol.