Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fentanyl vs alfentanil with atropine for dog radiotherapy sedation
By Franchino, Giovanni et al.·Published in Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia·2025·Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Comparison of fentanyl and alfentanil in combination with atropine for premedication of dogs undergoing radiotherapy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 22 dogs undergoing radiotherapy were given two different premedication protocols to see which worked better. One group received a combination of atropine and alfentanil, while the other got atropine and fentanyl. Both treatments helped with anesthesia, but the dogs that received fentanyl were extubated (had their breathing tube removed) a bit faster than those that received alfentanil. Both protocols were effective, but fentanyl is recommended for use in dogs when available.
People also search for: dog radiotherapy anesthesia · fentanyl vs alfentanil for dogs · dog recovery after anesthesia
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of two opioid-based premedication protocols on propofol requirement, time to recovery and occurrence of post-anaesthetic vocalization, paddling, nystagmus and dysphoria in dogs anaesthetized for radiotherapy. STUDY DESIGN: Blinded, randomized, crossover clinical study. ANIMALS: A total of 22 client-owned dogs, each serving as their own control. METHODS: Dogs were randomly assigned to one of two intravenous premedication protocols on their first radiotherapy session, and the other on their second session. Premedication consisted of atropine (10 μg kg) mixed with equipotent doses of either alfentanil (10 μg kg, group AA) or fentanyl (2.5 μg kg, group FA), followed by propofol induction and maintenance with sevoflurane in oxygen. Cardiorespiratory variables and observation of dysphoria and nystagmus were recorded after premedication and during recovery. Time elapsed from discontinuation of sevoflurane to tracheal extubation, sternal position and walking were also recorded (minutes). RESULTS: The proportion of dogs showing dysphoria and nystagmus was not different between treatments at any time point. With both treatments, heart rate (mean ± standard deviation) decreased after premedication (82 ± 27 and 93 ± 27 beats minutein groups AA and FA, respectively) compared with baseline (117 ± 23 and 112 ± 26 beats minutein groups AA and FA, respectively; p < 0.001). Propofol dose did not differ between treatments (3.8 ± 1.7 and 4.3 ± 1.3 mg kgin groups AA and FA, respectively). Time to extubation was shorter with treatment AA (5.3 ± 2.1 minutes) compared with treatment FA (6.2 ± 2.3 minutes; p = 0.049), while time to sternal recumbency and walking did not differ between treatments. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Since the two protocols produced comparable clinical effects and were both found suitable for dogs undergoing repeated radiotherapy, fentanyl is recommended over alfentanil in countries where it is licensed.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40695695/