FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / BMC Vet Res / Efficacy of caudal epidural injection of Xylazine-Lidocaine ...
BMC veterinary research2025; 21(1); 385; doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-04840-7

Efficacy of caudal epidural injection of Xylazine-Lidocaine HCl and detomidine-lidocaine HCl in domestic horses (Equus ferus caballus).

Abstract: The current study was prepared to compare the efficacy of xylazine-lidocaine HCl and detomidine-lidocaine HCl following caudal epidural injection in horses, evaluating sedation, analgesia, physiological parameters, and hemato-biochemical values. This study was applied to six healthy adult horses (300-350 kg, > 4 years of age). The horses were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group 1 (seven horses) received xylazine (0.17 mg/kg bwt) + lidocaine HCl (0.06 mg/kg bwt), while Group 2 received detomidine (0.03 mg/kg bwt) + lidocaine HCl (0.06 mg/kg bwt) via caudal epidural injection. Perineal analgesia and sedation (onset time and duration) were assessed before administration and at 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min post-administration. Concurrently, heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, and hemato-biochemical values were recorded. The sedative duration of detomidine was longer than that of xylazine (94 ± 0.96 vs. 85 ± 0.94 min). Both detomidine and xylazine induced complete bilateral perineal analgesia in all horses. Analgesia onset was slightly faster and duration longer in detomidine-treated horses compared to xylazine, and these values are for onset of analgesia (11.79 ± 1.15 vs. 14.46 ± 0.92 min). Significant heart rate depression was observed in Group 2, in which both white blood cell count (WBC) and packed cell volume (PCV) percentage showed significant decreases. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance: The findings of this study suggest that epidural administration of detomidine-lidocaine HCl results in more effective and longer-lasting perineal analgesia compared to xylazine-lidocaine HCl.
© 2025. The Author(s).
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2025-05-28 PubMed ID: 40437503PubMed Central: PMC12117799DOI: 10.1186/s12917-025-04840-7Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Veterinary

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article is a study that compares the effectiveness of two different combinations of drugs (Xylazine-Lidocaine HCl and Detomidine-Lidocaine HCl) when used for epidural injections in horses, looking at their impacts on sedation, pain relief, and certain physiological and blood parameters.

Research Methodologies and Parameters

  • The study involved six healthy adult horses, each weighing between 300 to 350 kg and aged more than 4 years.
  • The horses were split into two groups. Group 1 received an epidural injection containing both xylazine and Lidocaine HCl, while Group 2 received an injection of detomidine mixed with Lidocaine HCl.
  • Both groups were monitored for the onset time and duration of perineal analgesia (pain relief in the perineal area) and sedation.
  • Other physiological parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and rectal temperature were recorded.
  • In addition, the horses’ hemato-biochemical values, namely white blood cell count (WBC) and packed cell volume (PCV), were also documented.

Key Findings

  • It was found that the sedation period for horses in Group 2 (receiving detomidine) was slightly longer compared to Group 1 (given xylazine).
  • All horses experienced complete pain relief in the perineal area irrespective of which drug combination they were given.
  • Horses from Group 2 experienced a faster onset and longer duration of analgesia compared to Group 1.
  • Group 2 also displayed significant heart rate depression along with decreases in their WBC and PCV percentages.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

  • Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that the use of detomidine in combination with Lidocaine HCl in epidural injections is more effective in generating longer-lasting pain relief in the perineal area compared to using xylazine with Lidocaine HCl.
  • The data derived from this study might be helpful for veterinary clinicians in making decisions regarding analgesic plans or procedures in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Sobhy A, Nomir AG, Hamed MA, Abumandour MMA, El-Kammar M. (2025). Efficacy of caudal epidural injection of Xylazine-Lidocaine HCl and detomidine-lidocaine HCl in domestic horses (Equus ferus caballus). BMC Vet Res, 21(1), 385. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-04840-7

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Pages: 385
PII: 385

Researcher Affiliations

Sobhy, Adel
  • Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, 22516, Egypt.
Nomir, Ahmed G
  • Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, 22516, Egypt.
Hamed, Mohamed A
  • Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt.
Abumandour, Mohamed M A
  • Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Abees 10th, P.O. 21944, Alexandria, 21944, Egypt. m.abumandour@yahoo.com.
El-Kammar, Mahmoud
  • Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Abis 10, P.O. 21944, Alexandria, Egypt.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Xylazine / administration & dosage
  • Xylazine / pharmacology
  • Lidocaine / administration & dosage
  • Lidocaine / pharmacology
  • Horses
  • Anesthetics, Local / administration & dosage
  • Anesthetics, Local / pharmacology
  • Imidazoles / administration & dosage
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Male
  • Injections, Epidural / veterinary
  • Hypnotics and Sedatives / administration & dosage

Conflict of Interest Statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was carried out with ethical permission from the faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (ALEXU-IACUC) with (Approval code: AU013/12-05-2025/0348290/2023/13/11). All methods were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations from the Basel Declaration and the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS). This study was prepared in accordance with the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals [29]. All animal experiments comply with the ARRIVE guidelines and were carried out in accordance with the U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986 and associated guidelines, EU Directive 2010/63/EU for animal experiments, or the National Institutes of Health guide for the care and use of laboratory animals (NIH Publications No. 8023, revised 1978), and the authors clearly indicated in the manuscript that such guidelines have been followed. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

References

This article includes 29 references
  1. Pape J, Pitzschk C. Versuche Uber extradurale anasthesie beim Pferde. Arch Wiss Prakt Tierheilkd 1925;52:558–71.
  2. Skarda RT, Tranquilli WJ, Ed WJ, Tranquilli JC, Thurmon KA, Grimm. Ames, 395–418. In., edn.; 2007.
  3. Skarda R, Grosenbaugh D, Muir W. Caudal regional anaesthesia in horses. Equine Veterinary Educ 2005;15(S7):108–16.
  4. Fleming I. Local anesthesia in horses (Chap. 7). Pages: 101–115. In: Handbook of Veterinary Analgesia 5th Edition edn. Edited by Muir W, Hubbell J: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2012.
  5. Vullo C, Tambella A, Meligrana M, Catone G. Analgesic and sedative effects of epidural Lidocaine-Xylazine in elective bilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy in standing mule mares. Anim (Basel) 2021;11(8):2419.
    pmc: PMC8388800pubmed: 34438877
  6. Hendrickson D, Southwood L, Lopez M, Johnson R, Kruse-Elliott K. Cranial migration of different volumes of new-methylene blue after caudal epidural injection in the horse. Equine Pract 1998;20(2):12–4.
  7. Verwilghen D, Surgical. Methods. Instrument Preparation, Antisepsis, and Disinfection (Chap. 9). Pages: 123–143. In: Equine Surgery-E-Book. edn. Edited by Auer JA, Stick JA: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2018.
  8. Clarke K, Trim C, Hall L. Anaesthesia of the species (Anaesthesia of the Horse). Page: 245. Veterinary anaesthesia E-Book. edn.: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2013.
  9. Goodrich LR, Nixon AJ. How to alleviate acute and chronic hindlimb pain in horses. Proceedings of the 49th Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 21–25 November 2003:262–267.
  10. Hamed MA, Hamouda H, Elmetwally M, Farrag F, Abdo Rizk M, Abumandour MMA, Hegazy YM, Samy A. Comparative experimental anesthesia efficacy study of epidural injection at the sacrococcygeal space using ultrasound guidance versus blindness technique in Egyptian donkeys (Equus asinus). BMC Vet Res 2025;21(1):57.
    pmc: PMC11806798pubmed: 39920670
  11. Molaei MM, Azari O, Sakhaee E, Naderi Z, Mehdizadeh S. Comparison of Lidocaine, xylazine, and a combination of Lidocaine and xylazine for caudal epidural analgesia in dromedary camels. Iran J Veterinary Surg 2010;5(1–2):51–62.
  12. Michielsen A, Schauvliege S. Epidural anesthesia and analgesia in horses. Vlaams Diergeneeskd Tijdschr 2019;88(4):233–40.
  13. Salonen J. Chemistry and pharmacokinetics of the alpha-2-adrenoreceptor agonists. 1992.
  14. Lizarraga I, Beths T. A comparative study of xylazine-induced mechanical hypoalgesia in donkeys and horses. Veterinary Anaesth Analg 2012;39:533–8.
    pubmed: 22574779
  15. Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria N. International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature and authorized by the general assembly of the world Association of veterinary Anatomist. Knoxville, 6th edition (Revised version); Ghent. Published by the Editorial Committee Hanover (Germany), Ghent (Belgium), Sapporo (Japan), Columbia, MO (U.S.A.), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). 2017.
  16. Yoo H, Iirola T, Vilo S, Manner T, Aantaa R, Lahtinen M, Scheinin M, Olkkola KT, Jusko WJ. Mechanism-based population Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of intravenous and intranasal Dexmedetomidine in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2015;71:1197–207.
    pmc: PMC7167593pubmed: 26233335
  17. Shokry M, Elkasapy A. Caudal epidural xylazineor Xylazine/Lidocainecombination in camels (Camelus Dromedarius) and its reversal by Atipamezole. Archives Veterinary Sci Med 2021;4:103–10.
  18. Ahmad R, Kinjavdekar P, Aithal H, Pawde A, Kumar D. Potential use of Dexmedetomidine for different levels of sedation, analgesia and anaesthesia in dogs. Vet Med 2013;58(2):87–95.
  19. Samimi AS, Molaei MM, Azari O, Rezaei MA, Hashemian A. Comparative evaluation of the sedative and analgesic effects of caudal epidural administration of Lidocaine alone or in combination with xylazine, detomidine, Medetomidine, and Dexmedetomidine in mediterranean miniature donkeys. J Equine Veterinary Sci 2022;113:103915.
    pubmed: 35217147
  20. Sarrafzadeh-Rezaei F, Rezazadeh F, Behfar M. Comparison of caudal epidural administration of Lidocaine and xylazine to xylazine/ketamine combination in Donkey (Equus asinus). Iran J Veterinary Surg 2007;2(5):7–16.
  21. Grubb T, Riebold T, Crisman R, Lamb L. Comparison of Lidocaine, xylazine, and lidocaine-xylazine for caudal epidural analgesia in cattle. Veterinary Anaesth Analgesia 2002;29(2):64–8.
    pubmed: 28404301
  22. Singh P, Pratap K, Amarpal, Kinjavdekar P, Aithal H, Singh G, Pathak R. Xylazine, ketamine and their combination for lumbar epidural analgesia in water Buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis). J Vet Med Ser A 2006;53(8):423–31.
    pubmed: 16970633
  23. Simenew K, Gezahegne M, Getachew M, Wondyefraw M, Alemayehu L, Eyob I. Reference values of clinically important physiological, hematological and serum biochemical parameters of apparently healthy working equids of Ethiopia. Global Vet 2011;7(1):1–6.
  24. Lizarraga I, Janovyak E. Comparison of the mechanical hypoalgesic effects of five α2-adrenoceptor agonists in donkeys. Vet Rec 2013;173(12):294–294.
    pubmed: 23878192
  25. Murrell JC, Hellebrekers LJ. Medetomidine and Dexmedetomidine: a review of cardiovascular effects and antinociceptive properties in the dog. Veterinary Anaesth Analgesia 2005;32(3):117–27.
    pubmed: 15877658
  26. Kullmann DM, Schorge S, Walker MC, Wykes RC. Gene therapy in epilepsy—is it time for clinical trials?. Nat Reviews Neurol 2014;10(5):300–4.
    pubmed: 24638133
  27. Skarda RT, Muir WW. Analgesic, hemodynamic, and respiratory effects of caudal epidurally administered xylazine hydrochloride solution in mares. Am J Vet Res 1996;57(2):193–200.
    pubmed: 8633807
  28. Tiburcio M, Oliveira MS, Martini M, Dias L, Mattos junior ed. Acepromazine, detomidine or xylazine in horse sedation: hematological and biochemical effects. Revista Acadêmica Ciências Agrárias E Ambientais 2014;12(1):35–44.
  29. National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Institute for laboratory animal research, animals CftUotGftCaUoL. Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals: eighth edition. Washington, DC 20001. USA: National Academies; 2011.

Citations

This article has been cited 0 times.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.