Physiological effects of a pre-anesthetic single dose of gabapentin on Xylazine/Ketamine anesthesia in rabbits

Abstract

Background: As common pets, rabbits are frequently brought to veterinarians for examination and medical care. Many diagnostic and surgical treatments require anesthesia, which is linked to a higher perioperative risk in rabbits than in dogs and cats. Objective: To assess the impact of a single 25 mg/kg oral dose of gabapentin on the depth and duration of anesthesia and hemodynamic stability of different anesthetic regimes. Methods: Twenty adult healthy New Zealand male rabbits weighing 2.5 ± 0.5 kg were used in this study randomly and equally divided using a computer-generated random number table into four groups: group A (gabapentin/xylazine/ketamine), group B (gabapentin/ketamine), group C (xylazine/ketamine), and group D (ketamine only). All experimental groups were evaluated through assessment of anesthetic depth, vital, hematological, and serum biochemical parameters. Results: Our data revealed the enhanced reflex suppression and prolonged recovery observed in the anesthetic regime of group (A) with short induction time and prolonged recovery with remarkable muscle relaxation. Limitations: The study was limited by a small sample size (n = 20), which may reduce the statistical power and generalizability of the findings. Additionally, postoperative pain assessment using validated scoring tools was not performed, and the results should be interpreted with caution regarding long-term analgesic efficacy. Conclusion: A single oral dose of gabapentin minimizes the ketamine’s catalepsy, reducing its induction time, delaying and improving the recovery.