Association of acepromazine with propofol in giant amazon turtles Podocnemis expansa reared in captivity / Associação da acepromazina com propofol em tartarugas-da-amazônia Podocnemis expansa criadas em cativeiro
Twenty healthy P. expansa of both sexes weighing between 1.0 and 1.5kg commercially bred in the Araguaia River Valley, Goias, Brazil, were separated into two groups (G1 n=10 and G2 n=10). Each group received a respective protocol P1= acepromazine (0.5 mg/kg IM) and propofol (5 mg/kg IV) and P2 = acepromazine (0.5 mg/kg IM) and propofol (10 mg/kg IV). The acepromazine was administered in the left thoracic member and the propofol in the cervical vertebral sinus. Assessments were made of the anestheticparameters of locomotion, muscle relaxation, response to pain stimuli in the right thoracic and pelvic members and heartbeat.
RESULTS:
The anesthetic induction time was the same for both protocols (P1 and P2); however the P2 effects were of a longer duration.