The effect of detomidine (Domosedan) on the maintenance of equine pregnancy and foetal development: ten cases.

This study looked at whether the continuous administration of detomidine, a drug often used in veterinary medicine for its sedative and analgesic properties, had any adverse effects on pregnant horses and the development of their foetuses. From a sample of eight mares and ten pregnancies, it was found that although four cases had complications, these did not seem to be directly linked to the repeated use of detomidine.

Research Methodology

• The study involved ten pregnancies in eight horses. The mares were given an intravenous injection of detomidine on a weekly basis from Day 14 to Day 60 of gestation. After Day 60, the dosage was administered every four weeks until parturition or birth.
• Detomidine was given at a dosage of 20 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. The administration of the drug was consistent throughout all pregnancies.

Findings and Outcomes

• One mare suffered from torsion of the large colon and had to be destroyed on Day 86; however, the foetus was found to be normally developed up to that point.
• A further mare aborted on Day 167. The cause of this was not specified but it does represent an unsuccessful outcome within the sample group.
• Eight of the ten pregnancies went to full term. Out of the eight born, one had to be delivered by caesarean section due to torticollis, an uncommon condition in which the neck muscles cause the head to be twisted to one side.
• Out of the seven foals delivered spontaneously, one had bilateral upward patellar fixation at one month old, a condition where the horse is unable to flex one or both stifle joints normally.

Conclusion

• Despite the fact that only six of the ten foals developed normally, the remaining four cases did not exhibit any common pathological similarities that would suggest a directly linked cause.
• Based on the data collected from the small sample size, the study did not find evidence to suggest that repeated administration of detomidine has specific adverse effects on equine pregnancies or foetal development.