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Alfaxalone combinations have been widely used in domestic cats as a part of anaesthesia protocols. Given the advantages of these protocols in the domestic cat, and because caracals are in the same family as domesticated cats, we developed an immobilisation protocol based upon alfaxalone, nalbuphine and dexmedetomidine. A captive 13‐year‐old female caracal required general anaesthesia for a lower urinary tract workup and cystoscopy procedure. Due to temperament, physical examination (including thoracic auscultation) and laboratory workup before premedication was not performed. An immobilisation protocol using alfaxalone, nalbuphine and dexmedetomidine was used to induce anaesthesia. Isoflurane in oxygen was used for maintenance of anaesthesia, and hydromorphone was added for analgesia when it was determined that a surgical incision was required. The caracal did well under general anaesthesia, recovered uneventfully and was discharged the same day. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this drug combination in the caracal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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There is limited, useful, scientific information on detomidine in donkeys. This study compared the effects of intravenous saline, detomidine (10, 13.5, 17 and 20 µg/kg) and acepromazine (50 µg/kg) in donkeys by computing areas under the curve for 0-30, 30-60 and 60-120 minutes (AUC0-30, AUC30-60 and AUC60-120) for sedation scores, head heights and mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs). For sedation scores, all detomidine treatments, except 10 µg/kg, increased AUC0-30 values compared with saline, and AUC0-30 values were larger for 17 µg/kg detomidine than for acepromazine. All head height AUC values were lower for detomidine than for saline (except AUC60-120 for 10 µg/kg detomidine) and acepromazine (except AUC0-30 for 10 and 20 µg/kg detomidine, and AUC60-120 for 10 µg/kg detomidine). For MNTs, all detomidine treatments increased AUC0-30 and AUC30-60 values compared with saline and acepromazine; AUC30-60 values were smaller for 10 µg/kg than for 17 and 20 µg/kg detomidine. MNT AUC60-120 values were larger for 20 µg/kg detomidine than for saline, 10 µg/kg detomidine and acepromazine. Detomidine induced sedation and antinociception, but only antinociception was dosage dependent. Selection of detomidine dosage for donkeys may depend on the required duration of sedation and/or degree of analgesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]