Comparative evaluation of the effect of thiopental, propofol, and ketamine anaesthesia during experimental surgical wound repair in xylazine premedicated local chicken

Abstract

This study determined the suitable general anaesthetic regimen in local chicken that underwent experimental wound repair by comparing the effect of different anaesthetic protocols. Fifteen healthy matured layer local chickens of average weight of 0.2kg were used for the study. They were randomly assigned into three groups (A–C) of five birds each. Birds in all groups were premedicated with xylazine 2 mg/kg body weight (b/w) IV. Birds in groups A, B and C were anaesthetized with thiopentone, 30 mg/kg (b/w), propofol, 15 mg/kg (b/w) and ketamine, 25 mg/kg (b/w) respectively through the jugular vein. Surgical incisions were made on breast muscle at the depth of 0.1cm and length of 2cm and sutured using size 1 chromic catgut and size 3/0 silk for muscles and skin respectively. The physiological parameters were recorded at 0 min pre induction and subsequently every ten (10) min interval post induction. The anaesthetic indices were also recorded. Data were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The result showed that propofol-xylazine had significantly (𝑃 ≤ 0.05) faster onset, short duration of recumbency, minimal effect on the cardiopulmonary system and on the blood glucose, but provide short surgical anaesthetic time when compared to other drugs. Thiopental-xylazine significantly (𝑃 ≤ 0.05) caused more cardiopulmonary depression compare to Ketamine-xylazine. Ketamine-xylazine had significantly (𝑃 ≤ 0.05) longest onset, duration of recumbency and surgical anaesthetic time with stable cardiopulmonary function among the drugs. Ketamine-xylazine regimen may be considered as the best of the three anaesthetics protocol in local chicken especially during long surgical procedure.