The use of butorphanol tartrate for the prevention of canine intussusception following renal transplantation.

Butorphanol tartrate (0.05 mg/kg, im) was included in the preanesthetic medication in 15 out of 29 conditioned female mongrel dogs (22.7-27.3 kg body wt) undergoing renal autotransplants as part of a 48-h kidney preservation study. Four postoperative intussusceptions were noted (3 jejunojejunal, 1 ileocolic) among the 14 dogs without butorphanol, whereas no intussusceptions developed in the 15 dogs receiving butorphanol as part of the preanesthetic protocol. In a prior study, 2 out of 18 dogs undergoing renal autotransplants without the use of butorphanol as part of a 24-h kidney preservation study developed intussusceptions (jejunojejunal). With the exception of butorphanol the anesthetic protocol was the same for all 47 dogs receiving transplants. Throughout these studies the surgical team remained constant, and all dogs were negative for parasites and systemic infectious disease pre- and postoperatively. The results indicate that the use of butorphanol tartrate as part of a preanesthetic protocol is effective in preventing canine intestinal intussusception following renal autotransplantation.