Siamak Shokrollahi - Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
Rahim Mohammadi - Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
Farshid Sarrafzadeh-Rezaei - Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
Ghader Jalilzadeh-Amin - Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
Seyed Mohammad Hashami-Asl - Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

The aim of this study was to compare the sedative and cardiovascular effects of the combination of xylazine-acepromazine versus xylazine-pregabalin - in horses. Four healthy crossbred horses were included in the study and assigned to two treatments. In treatment I (T۱), the animals received xylazine hydrochloride (۱.۰۰ mg kg-۱) in combination with acepromazine maleate (۰.۰۵ mg kg-۱) intravenously. In treatment II (T۲), the animals received intragastric administration of pregabalin (۴.۰۰ mg kg-۱) followed by xylazine hydrochloride (۱.۰۰ mg kg-۱) intravenously after ۶۰ min. Head height above ground (HHAG) and echocardiographic indices were evaluated. In T۱, recordings were made ۵ minubefore and ۵, ۱۵, ۳۰, ۶۰, and ۹۰ minu after drug administration. In T۲, recordings were made ۵ min before pregabalin, ۵۵ minu after pregabalin administration, and then ۵, ۱۵, ۳۰, ۶۰, and ۹۰ min after xylazine hydrochloride acepromazine injection. Analyses of the data showed there were no significant differences regarding HHAG and echocardiographic indices between the two treatments. Intragastric administration of pregabalin prior to xylazine could be considered as an alternative premedication regimen when acepromazine administration is contraindicated or undesirable.

Acepromazine, Echocardiography, Pregabalin, Sedation, Xylazine