The Influence of Environmental Temperature on Physiological Parameters in Xylazine Sedated Sheep

The influence of environmental temperature on rectal temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and rate of ruminal movement were evaluated in xylazine sedated sheep. Xylazine was administered intramuscularly to six matured and healthy yankasa sheep at the dose rate of 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 mg/kg at low and high environmental temperature of (18°C±0.87) and (37°C±1.41) respectively. In each of the dose used, rectal temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate and rate of ruminal motility were measured before drug administration and at interval of 15 min after drug administration up to 210 min. Rectal temperature, heart rate, and ruminal motility decreases significantly (p<0.05) 15 min after the drug administration dose-dependently in all the two different environmental temperature conditions. However, the respiratory rates increases significantly (p<0.05) but also dose-dependently. The results from this study show that the decrease and increase in these parameters were more pronounced in the lower than in the higher environmental temperature condition. This study indicates that environmental temperature influences the action of xylazine on physiological parameters in sheep.