COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF DETOMIDINE AND XYLAZINE AS SEDATIVE AND ANALGESIC AGENTS IN SMALL RUMINANTS

The study was carried out on 60 healthy rams and male goats presented for castration in the Surgery Clinics, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore. The weight of the animals ranged between 25 and 50 kg and ages between 3 and 6 months. The animals were divided into three groups A, B and C, with 20 animals in each group. In group A, castration was performed under detomidine sedation injected at a dose rate of 50 g/kg body weight intramuscularly. In group B, xylazine was administered at a dose rate of 200 g/kg body weight intramuscularly. In group C, castration was performed without the use of any sedative agent. However, animals of group C were given normal saline (placebo). Before surgical manipulation, physical examination of each animal was conducted to ascertain the normal health status. From the study it was concluded that detomidine and xylazine produced similar sedative effects but the analgesia was considerably better with the former.