Clinical investigations of medetomidine in dogs

Experiments with 3 doses of medetomidine (20, 40 and 80 micrograms/kg, iv. and im., respectively) were carried out on 90 dogs of 16 breeds in the Small Animal Surgery of the University of Veterinary Science, Budapest. Changes in hematology as well as in AST, AP, BUN, creatinine were studied. Medetomidine administered iv deepened the sedation and lengthened tranquillization dose-dependently. After im administration the sedative effect was still dose-dependent, but the duration of its clinical effectiveness could not be lengthened significantly. The development of the sedation could however, be quickened. The iv administration increased the level of analgesia in proportion to dosage; the im application could change the level of pain-killing effect of the drug, but could not lengthen it. According to the laboratorical determinations, regardless of the dosage and the route of application, medetomidine did not affect the AST and AP enzyme activities, or the BUN and creatinine values.