Comparative study on sedative and anaesthetic effects of Xylazine, Ketamine and Xylazine-Ketamine Combination in quails (Coturnix coturnix)

Individual and combined effects of xylazine, ketamine and their combination were studied on eighteen adult quails (Coturnix coturnix), equally divided into three groups i.e.A: xylazine (18mg/kg, IM), B: ketamine (60mg/kg, IM) and C: xylazine-ketamine combination (9mg/kg-30mg/kg, IM).Xylazine, ketamine and xylazine-ketamine combination produced smooth induction of their effects in 9.7 ± 2.11 minutes, 7± 1.56 minutes and 1.9 ± 0.53 minutes, respectively.Group A attained light plane of sedation and group B attained stage II anaesthesia along with superficial analgesia.In group C, birds showed a deep anaesthesia accompanied by deep analgesia.Mean durations of sedation and anaesthesia were 40.8 ± 3.99 minutes, 44.1±12.99minutes and 77.8±18.62 minutes in groups A, B and C, respectively followed by a recovery phase with mean duration 22.3±2.66minutes, 15.8±6.35minutes and 34.6± 13.81 minutes in groups A, B and C, respectively.Birds in group B exhibited a rough recovery while recovery was smooth in groups A and C. It is concluded that the use of xylazine as sedative and xylazine-ketamine combination as anaesthetic is the most effective, safe and economic selection for quails especially under field conditions.Xylazine-ketamine combination is recommended as a good surgical anaesthesia to carry out painful manipulative procedures at the dosages used in this study.Use of ketamine alone is not recommended for quails.