Anesthetic and hemodynamic effects of ketamine hydrochloride in buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis)

Ketamine HCl was evaluated as a general anesthetic alone and in combination with chlorpromazine HCl on the basis of sedative and cardiovascular effects in 40 buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis). Calves were rapidly immobilized after IV administration of ketamine HCl (2 mg/kg of body weight). Preanesthetic treatment of calves with chlorpromazine increased the duration of analgesia, standing and recovery times, and the degree of muscle relaxation. The duration and degree of analgesia obtained were adequate for short-term surgical procedures. All animals survived the anesthetic trials, and recovery was smooth and rapid. Hemodynamic studies revealed increases in heart rate, mean blood pressure, cardiac output, and peripheral vascular resistance during maximal depth of anesthesia. The venous pressure decreased initially and then increased progressively. Increases and decreases in these measurements were transient, and the measurements returned to base-line values within 30 minutes after ketamine administration. Definite trends were not seen on ECG tracings, except for elevations and depressions of ST segment, T-wave changes, and wandering pacemaker in a few animals, and sinus tachycardia in all animals.