Anaesthesia of geoffroy’s side-necked turtle Phrynops geoffroanus Schweigger, 1812 (Testudines) with the association of midazolam and propofol - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v31i3.674

Abstract

Turtles present a unique morphology and physiology and differ in many ways from mammalians. Therefore, anesthetic monitoring of the patient during sedation and anesthesia should be known, because the drugs and the dosages used successfully in mammals may prove to be inadequate in these species. Ten Phrynops geoffroanus were used, from the Uberabinha River, in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State (license RAN/IBAMA no. 035/2006) which were anesthetized with midazolam (2 mg kg^-1 IM^-1) and propofol (10 mg kg^-1 IV^-1). The heart beats from the samples were supervised with Doppler at the times 0’, 10’, 30’, 60’, 120’ and 180’ after being anesthetized and during the trans-anesthetic period. The turtles were observed relating the stipulated parameters (locomotion, muscular quietude, manipulation, painful incentive on the chest and pelvic limbs). Propofol (10 mg kg^-1 IV^-1) proved to be an anesthetic with quickly induction and duration of ideal anesthesia of 66’. Midazolam on the dosage of 2 mg kg^-1 IM^-1 was an efficient pre-anesthetic, promoting muscular quietude and facilitating animal manipulation. The association showed good results, promoting analgesia for an average time of 97’5’’. Additionally, it showed no significant decrease in the cardiac frequency and apnea in the anesthetized species.