The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sedative, analgesic, clinicophysiological and hematobiochemical effects of xylocaine alone or in combination with ketamine when administered epidurally in camels. 8 clinically healthy camels of both sexes were divided equally into two groups, group I was injected with 1.1 mg/kg xylocaine HCl 2 %, while group II was injected with combination of xylocaine HCl (1.1 mg/Kg) and Ketamine HCl (1 mg/Kg). The drugs were injected in the 1st inter coccygeal space. The onset and duration of sedation and analgesia were recorded. Pulse rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature and hematobiochemical parameters were recorded before drug administration then at 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes postinjection. Xylocaine/ketamine combination resulted in significant longer duration of both sedation and analgesia when compared with xylocaine alone; recumbancy was recorded after pronounced ataxia after xylocaine/ketamine combination. Significant changes in hematobiochemical parameters were observed in both groups.
It was concluded that epidural administration of xylocaine-ketamine combination resulted in more reliable onset and duration of perineal analgesia in camels as compared with xylocaine alone.
Key words: camel; epidural analgesia; xylocaine; xylocaine-ketamine.
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