Preanaesthetic Medication of Piroxicam with Propofol in Male Dogs Undergoing Gastrotomy

Propofol is an alcohol used for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in dogs. Unfortunately, it is associated with less duration of action, cardiac arrest, and death. Hence the preanaesthetic medication of piroxicam with propofol was studied in Nigerian indigenous dogs undergoing gastrotomy. A randomised control trial was adopted for the study. Ten one-year old male dogs that weighed 5.3 ±0.5 kg divided into two groups of 5 each were used. Propofol (6 mg/kg) was infused three times into cephalic vein of all the ten dogs, whereas one group was further administered 2.2 mg/kg and the other group was administered 4.4 mg/kg of piroxicam, respectively. Duration of onset and maintenance of anaesthesia were significantly lower (p<0.05) at 2.2 mg/kg and higher (p<0.05) in 4.4 mg/kg of piroxicam group, respectively. Heart rate was significantly higher (p<0.05) whereas respiratory rate was significantly lower (p<0.05) in both groups. Concentration of piroxicam in both group was significantly higher (p<0.05) throughout the study. Hence, piroxicam provided a good, smooth preanaesthetic medication when administered 15 minutes before propofol in dogs during gastrotomy. Preanaesthetic medication of piroxicam with propofol prevented propofol infusion syndrome that caused heart failure, hepatomegaly, fever and sometimes death.