Hematological evaluation of balanced anesthetic protocols through single intramuscular administration in cats

Abstract

Three anesthetic protocols were evaluated in twenty-seven cats to compare and evaluate the clinical efficacy as well as clinico-physiological and haemato-biochemical alterations. The study was conducted on 27 cats of different breeds, including fourteen females and thirteen males, which were presented for surgical interventions.The cats were randomly allocated into three groups (n=9 each): Group BTZ, Group DKB and Group AKB. Group BTZ received atropine sulphate (0.04 mg/kg), butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg) and tiletamine-zolazepam (10 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Group DKB was administered dexmedetomidine (25 µg/kg), ketamine (5 mg/kg) and butorphanol (0.5 mg/kg) IM, while Group AKB received acepromazine (0.2 mg/kg), ketamine (20 mg/kg) and butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg) IM. All drug combinations were prepared in 2 ml sterile syringes and injected intramuscularly into the thigh muscles following proper physical restraint. The analysis of hematobiochemical parameters indicated a non-significant reduction in total erythrocyte count, total leukocyte count, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and serum creatinine following 20 minutes of anesthesia and post-recovery, while the values remained within normal reference limits. A non-significant reduction in hemoglobin and packed cell volume was recorded at 20 minutes after anesthesia and upon recovery. Neutrophil counts and random blood sugar (RBS) showed a non-significant (p>0.05) increase from baseline at 20 minutes after anesthesia and during post-recovery, with all values remaining within the normal reference range. Furthermore, no significant intergroup differences (p>0.05) were observed at any of the evaluated time intervals. Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and serum creatinine levels demonstrated a non-significant (p>0.05) decline from baseline at 20 minutes post-anesthesia, followed by a non-significant rise after recovery; however, all values stayed within normal physiological limits.