Korean J Vet Res.  2015 Dec;55(4):221-225. 10.14405/kjvr.2015.55.4.221.

Effects of alfaxalone on echocardiographic examination in healthy dogs

• Kim YW
• Kim TJ
• Hyun C

• KMID: 2148064
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14405/kjvr.2015.55.4.221

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of alfaxalone (3 mg/kg, intravenously) on echocardiographic examination in healthy dogs using echocardiography. Six adult Beagle dogs were used for this study. Left ventricular dimensions with systolic indexes, trans-blood flow at all cardiac valvular annulus and trans-mitral tissue Doppler values were measured from routine transthoracic echocardiography. Although the changes were not statistically significant, heart rate, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, peak velocities of tricuspid A-wave and transpulmonic flow were increased after alfaxalone induction, while systolic blood pressure, fractional shortening, left ventricular ejection fraction, peak velocities of mitral E-wave, mitral A wave, tricuspid E-wave, transaortic flow and medial e'-, a'- and s'-peaks decreased after alfaxalone induction. No dogs showed hypoxemia during sedation, regardless of intubation and oxygen supply. Although alfaxalone showed mild cardiovascular depression, this protocol could be a good alternative sedative protocol for echocardiographic examination in healthy dogs because the cardiovascular depression was statistically and clinically insignificant. However, further studies in dogs with heart diseases should be conducted to confirm these findings after alfaxalone induction.

Keyword

alfaxalone; canine; cardiac function; cardiovascular depression; left ventricle

MeSH Terms

Adult
Animals
Anoxia
Blood Pressure
Depression
Dogs*
Echocardiography*
Heart Diseases
Heart Rate
Heart Ventricles
Humans
Intubation
Oxygen
Stroke Volume
Oxygen