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Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics2026; doi: 10.1111/jvp.70051

Exposure to Subcutaneously Administered Butorphanol in Horses Pre-Treated With Detomidine or Detomidine-Vatinoxan.

Abstract: The aim of the study was to determine the exposure to subcutaneously administered butorphanol in horses pre-treated with intravenous (IV) detomidine, with or without vatinoxan, a peripherally selective alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist. Five healthy, adult horses received three IV treatments 7 days apart, in a randomized, cross-over design: detomidine 20 μg/kg (DET-B), detomidine 20 μg/kg with vatinoxan 200 μg/kg (DETVAT-B) and saline (S-B), all followed by 0.1 mg/kg of butorphanol administered subcutaneously 30 min later. Venous samples were collected between 10 and 270 min after butorphanol administration. Butorphanol concentrations in plasma were analyzed with liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadruple mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed with non-compartmental methods. The observed areas under plasma butorphanol concentration-time curves were 8104 ± 2590, 7042 ± 2628 and 5996 ± 1670 ng·min/mL for DET-B, DETVAT-B and S-B, respectively. There were no significant differences between treatments. Pre-treatment with detomidine, with or without vatinoxan, did not significantly affect the exposure to subcutaneously administered butorphanol in this study.
© 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2026-01-31 PubMed ID: 41618690DOI: 10.1111/jvp.70051Google Scholar: Lookup
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APA
Honkavaara JM, Karikoski NP, Palvas L, Pypendop BH, Rinne VM, Raekallio MR. (2026). Exposure to Subcutaneously Administered Butorphanol in Horses Pre-Treated With Detomidine or Detomidine-Vatinoxan. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvp.70051

Publication

Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics
ISSN: 1365-2885
NlmUniqueID: 7910920
Country: England
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Honkavaara, Juhana M
  • Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland, Helsinki, Finland.
Karikoski, Ninja P
  • Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland, Helsinki, Finland.
Palvas, Laura
  • Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland, Helsinki, Finland.
Pypendop, Bruno H
  • Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Rinne, Valtteri M
  • Admescope (Symeres Finland OY), Oulu, Finland.
Raekallio, Marja R
  • Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland, Helsinki, Finland.

Grant Funding

  • The Finnish Veterinary Foundation
  • Vetcare

References

This article includes 23 references
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