Comparative efficacy of lignocaine alone and in combination with Ketamine as epidural anaesthesia in cow calves.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the clinico-physiological effects of epidural anaesthesia using lignocaine alone and in combination with ketamine in cow calves. Eight clinically healthy non-descript, stall- fed male cow calves aged 7 to 8 months and weighing 55 to 65 kg were used in the study. Animals were divided in two groups of four animals each. In (group A) lignocaine @ 0.5mg/kg body wt. and in (group B) lignocaine @ 0.5mg/kg body wt with ketamine @ 2 mg/kg body wt. was administered at first inter coccygeal epidural space. Clinical observations such as, onset, depth of analgesia, area of desensitization, motor incoordination, salivation, heart-rate, respiration rate and rectal temperature (°F) were recorded before and at 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150,180 and 240 minutes after injection of drug(s). Ruminal movements were recorded at every 30 minutes after the injection of drug(s) upto complete recovery and 24 hours after the injection. The onset of analgesia in group B was significantly shorter as compared to group A. Group B animals induced deeper analgesia as compared to group A. In group A animals decrease in heart rate was recorded whereas in group B animals heart rate was increased. In group A, decrease in RR was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]