Effect of some i.v. anaesthetic agents on canine gastrointestinal motility

Thiopentone 20 mg kg-1, ketamine 8 mg kg-1 and minaxolone 2 mg kg-1 were administered to fasting greyhound dogs. Mechanical and electrical activities from stomach, duodenum, jejunum and ileum were recorded using strain gauge force transducers and implanted bipolar electrodes. Thiopentone and minaxolone caused intense activity in the duodenum and jejunum (phase I and phase II of the interdigestive cycle), but not the stomach or ileum. The activity following injection of thiopentone or minaxolone was prevented by premedication with either atropine 0.05 mg kg-1 or pentolinium 0.2 mg kg-1. Ketamine had no influence on gastrointestinal activity or the response to thiopentone or minaxolone. None of these drugs altered the basal electrical rhythm of the intestine.