Validación de la respuesta fisiológica de un protocolo anestésico de un bloqueo general para sedación en terneros

Abstract

This study was carried out in the province of Azuay, specifically in the Cuenca canton, Baños parish, Ecuador. Its main objective was to evaluate the physiological response of two anesthetic protocols in calves in a field setting. In this context, two anesthetic protocols were compared: one involving ketamine, acepromazine, and midazolam (T1) and another involving ketamine, tiletamine-zolazepam, and dexmedetomidine (T2). The study was conducted on six male calves aged 0 to 3 months, distributed according to a crossover design (3x2). During the study, data were collected on several variables, including physiological parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature. In addition, clinical signs such as sialorrhea, disorientation, hypothermia, regurgitation, decompensation, fecal incontinence, and urination were observed. Motor variables such as palpebral, corneal, pupillary reflexes, and eye position were also evaluated. The results revealed that T1 treatment did not significantly affect physiological constants, clinical signs, and motor variables. Moreover, it was observed that calves recovered faster at T1. On the other hand, T2 showed significant adverse effects on clinical signs, in which calves presented disorientation, along with a longer recovery time compared to T1. In summary, this study concludes that T1 represents a safe and effective alternative for calf anesthesia under field conditions since it does not produce significant adverse effects on the variables evaluated and allows for faster recovery compared to T2 KEYWORDS: Anesthesia, calves, constants, monitoring