Evaluation of the sedative and cardiorespiratory effects of medetomidine, medetomidine-butorphanol, medetomidine-ketamine, and medetomidine-butorphanol-ketamine in ferrets.

Ten ferrets were used in a crossover study to determine the anesthetic effects of intramuscular (I.M.) medetomidine (80 microg/kg body weight), medetomidine (80 microg/kg body weight)-butorphanol (0.1 mg/kg body weight), medetomidine (80 microg/kg body weight)-ketamine (5 mg/kg body weight), and medetomidine (80 microg/kg body weight)-butorphanol (0.1 mg/kg body weight)-ketamine (5 mg/kg body weight). All ferrets assumed lateral recumbency within four minutes and remained dorsally recumbent for 100 minutes, until atipamezole (400 microg/kg body weight, I.M.) administration. All four anesthetic combinations were effective for chemical restraint, with the most respiratory depression occurring in the medetomidine-butorphanol-ketamine group. The addition of butorphanol or ketamine to medetomidine significantly increased the duration of analgesia. The addition of ketamine to medetomidine-butorphanol expedited endotracheal intubation.