THE USE OF ALFAXALONE IN COMBINATION WITH OPIOIDS FOR CAT SEDATION: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Abstract

This study describes a prospective, randomized, blinded clinical study on 118 cats which required chemical restraint. The protocol of sedation was based on a combination of alfaxalone and an opioid among methadone, butorphanol and pethidine in order to improve the quality of sedation, offset the lack of analgesia and reduce side effects of alfaxalone. The patients underwent clinical evaluation and each of them was randomly allocated to one of the 3 groups. The evaluation procedure lasted 30 minutes from sedation, during which cats were monitored to fill an evaluation sheet at predefined time points. The quality of recovery was influenced by the opioid, with a higher score for butorphanol and pethidine, but also by body condition score (BCS) and age. The time of lateral recumbency was affected by the American Society of Anesthesiologists score (ASA), and it was higher in ASA 1-2. Physiological parameters were influenced by the molecule over time. The molecules influenced also the degree of muscular relaxation and quality of sedation. The last parameter was also influenced by ASA status with a greater score in cats classified as ASA 3.