Pharmacokinetics of intramuscular ketamine in young ostriches premedicated with romifidine

Abstract

Ketamine is a short-acting dissociative anaesthetic for chemical restraint and surgical anaesthesia in domestic and non-domestic animals. The present study was designed to determine the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg) after intramuscular (i.m.) administration to young ostriches premedicated with romifidine. Ketamine was rapidly absorbed after i.m. administration. Maximal ketamine concentration (Cmax) of 2.93 ± 0.61 μg/ml was reached at 12.5 ± 2.50 min and thereafter ketamine concentrations decreased rapidly. The elimination half-life (t 1/2z) obtained was 62.37 ± 17.37 min and mean residence time (MRT) was 77.33 ± 19.12 min. The area under the curve (AUC) was 114.19 ± 15.76 μg·min/ml. © 2007 The Authors.