Efeitos sedativos e cardiorrespiratórios da nalbufina em cães, comparada ao butorfanol, associados ou não à acepromazina

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the sedative effect and the changes caused by nalbuphine in cardiorespiratory parameters, when used alone or in combination with acepromazine in dogs, comparing it with butorphanol. The samples consisted of 8 beagle dogs 3 to 4 years old, healthy, which received four treatments: NALB group (nalbuphine 0.5 mg.kg-1), BUT group (butorphanol 0.15 mg.kg-1), ACPNALB Group (nalbuphine 0.5 mg.kg-1 associated with acepromazine 0.05 mg.kg-1) and ACPBUT group (butorphanol 0.15 mg.kg-1 associated with acepromazine 0.05 mg.kg-1). The opioids were administered twenty minutes following the administration of acepromazine or 0.9% NaCl. Registered: rectal temperature (TEMP), heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR), systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean blood pressure (MAP), and degree of sedation (END and ENS), in following time points: Baseline (before administration of acepromazine or 0.9% NaCl), ACP (15' after administration of acepromazine or 0.9% NaCl) and every 15' up to two hours after administration of opioids. The results of this study confirm that the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are little affected when nalbuphine is used at therapeutic doses, and indicate that it promotes mild sedation (NDS = 1 when used alone, for an average of 60 minutes, and moderate sedation (NDS = 2) when associated with acepromazine, for an average of 45 minutes. No relevant differences from the cardiorespiratory point of view were observed when compared with butorphanol, unlike temperature, which was lower when using this drug. Regarding the degree of sedation butorphanol was superior to nalbuphine when isolated (p < 0.05); however, when associated with acepromazine, the sedative scores are similar (NDS = 1), differing in duration of sedative effects, which was higher with butorphanol. It was concluded that nalbuphine can be used as a sedative in dogs, alone or in combination with acepromazine, with confidence about the cardiorespiratory effects, but with fewer sedative effects than butorphanol when applied in isolation.