Welfare Implications of Low-Dose Atipamezole Reversal of Tiletamine/Zolazepam/Xylazine Anaesthesia in Pigs

Abstract

Anaesthesia is sometimes required for the effective restraint of laboratory pigs for sample collection. Yet, anaesthesia can initiate a range of physiological disruptions that can increase variability in study data and lead to poorer animal welfare. Judicious use of anaesthesia can mitigate experimental, human safety, and animal welfare concerns, but it does not eliminate the potential for adverse effects. The use of reversal agents can shorten recovery time and reduce the physiological impacts of anaesthesia but can also cause additional side effects. We, therefore, trialled the use of low-dose atipamezole (0.12 mg/kg) for the antagonism of xylazine in laboratory pigs anaesthetised using a ..