Physiological and haemato-biochemical responses to tiletamine-zolazepam anaesthesia for endoscopic procedures in dogs

The study was conducted to evaluate the physiological and haemato-biochemical responses to tiletamine-zolazepam (TZ) anaesthesia for endoscopic procedures in dogs. Twenty-four adult dogs of different breeds were used in the current study and were divided into three groups. Group I comprised normal dogs that did not exhibit any gastrointestinal signs and were used to compare the effects of anaesthesia on dogs of group II and group III. Animals of group II were affected by upper gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, whereas group III exhibited lower GI issues. Dogs were premedicated with butorphanol and midazolam (each 0.2 mg/kg body wt., i.v.), induced with TZ (2 mg/kg body wt., i.v.), and maintained with additional TZ as required. This combination provided smooth anaesthesia with minimal physiological disturbance. Group II showed reduction in heart rate, respiratory rate and rectal temperature, along with increase in haemoglobin, PCV and lymphocytes, and biochemical markers (BUN, SGPT, SGOT and glucose), indicating metabolic alterations. Whereas group III revealed elevated monocytes and basophils. Induction and recovery times were comparable across groups, but group II showed the longest anaesthetic duration with lower dosage requirements (2.16±0.06 mg/kg body wt). These findings suggest that TZ is an effective induction agent for endoscopic procedures in dogs, providing stable anaesthesia and muscle relaxation with only transient, group-specific physiological and biochemical changes, particularly in dogs with upper GI disorders. This supports the suitability of TZ for endoscopic interventions, including in breeds predisposed to gastrointestinal diseases.