Total Intravenous anesthesia with alfaxalone and remifentanil in dogs premedicated with xylazine or acepromazine

The combinations of alfaxalone and remifentanil constant rate infusion in dogs premedicated with xylazine or acepromazine were compared. Ten beagle dogs were used and assigned randomly into 2 groups (5 dogs for each group). In group AAR, dogs were premedicated with 0.02 mg/kg of intravenous acepromazine at 15 min before induction. In group XAR, 1.1 mg/kg of intravenous xylazine was premedicated at 5 min before induction. In both groups, anesthesia was induced with alfaxalone and maintained with the combination of alfaxalone (6 mg/kg/hr, IV) and remifentanil (0.05 μg/kg/min, IV). bispectral index score was decreased after induction of anesthesia compared with baseline in both groups and no steep increase was observed during anesthesia. Bispectral index scores and electromyographs in group XAR were significant decreased compared with those in group AAR. Although the pulmonary depression in group XAR and tachycardia in group AAR should be considered to use these regimes, the combinations of alfaxalone and remifentanil constant rate infusion in dogs premedicated with xylazine or acepromazine provided adequate analgesia and anesthesia in this study.