Effects of epidural xylazine, lidocaine and their combination on body temperature in acepromazine-sedated dogs.

Abstract

A study was carried out to compare the effects of epidural xylazine, lidocaine and their combination on body temperature in dogs. Fifteen healthy dogs were used in this study. The dogs were randomly assigned to three groups of five animals each. The first group was injected with 2% lidocaine hydrochloride at 4 mg/kg body weight, the second with 2% xylazine hydrochloride at 0.6 mg/kg body weight while the third group was injected with the drug combination of lidocaine and xylazine at 2 mg/kg and 0.3 mg/kg respectively, in the same syringe. All injections were made into the lumbosacral space. Changes in rectal temperature of the dogs were recorded over a 4-hour monitoring period. Significant (p<0.05) decline in rectal temperature was observed in all three groups. Lidocaine caused a decrease in mean rectal temperature of 1.0° C in dogs within 75 minutes following its administration. The lowest temperature of 1.62° C recorded for the xylazine group was reached at 90 minutes post-drug administration. The lidocaine - xylazine drug combination was associated with a decrease in mean rectal temperature of up to 1.92° C within 90 minutes of drug administration. At the end of the 4- hour monitoring period, rectal temperature of the dogs in the lidocaine group remained significantly lower as compared to baseline values. Dogs injected with lidocaine-xylazine had significantly (p<0.05) lower mean rectal temperature when compared to dogs injected with the individual drugs. Shivering was a common side effect of the drugs following their administration affecting 20% of the dogs in the lidocaine group, 60% of dogs in the xylazine group and 80% of those in the lidocaine - xylazine group. It was concluded that epidural xylazine, lidocaine, and their combination caused significant change in body temperature even in the absence of any surgical manipulation being carried out. In clinical setting, this has both morbidity and mortality implications, especially in small animal surgical patients, in the post-operative period. available