Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How medetomidine and xylazine affect tear flow in healthy cats
By Kanda, Teppei et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2019·1 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of intramuscular administration of medetomidine and xylazine on tear flow measured by the Schirmer tear test I in healthy cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A healthy cat was given sedatives medetomidine and xylazine to see how they affected tear production. After receiving these medications, the cat's tear flow decreased significantly for several hours. This means that if your cat is treated with these sedatives, it’s important to monitor their eyes closely, as they may not produce enough tears during that time. Keeping their eyes protected can help prevent any discomfort or issues.
People also search for: why is my cat's eye dry · cat tear production sedatives · xylazine effects on cats' eyes
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effects of intramuscular medetomidine and xylazine on tear flow in healthy cats. METHODS: Five cats each received medetomidine 10, 20, 40 and 80 µg/kg IM; xylazine 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 mg/kg IM; and physiological saline (2.0 ml IM) in a randomised order separated by intervals of at least 1 week. The Schirmer tear test (STT) I was performed in both eyes before and 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 24 h after each dose. RESULTS: The STT I value decreased significantly at 0.5 and 1.0 h and at 0.75 and 1.0 h in both eyes after administration of medetomidine at 10 or 40 µg/kg. After administration of medetomidine 80 µg/kg, there was a significant decrease in the STT I reading at 0.75, 2 and 3 h in the left eye and 0.75, 1, 2 and 3 h in the right eye. The STT I value decreased significantly at: 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 h in the left eye and 0.75 h in the right eye after administration of xylazine 1.0 mg/kg; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 h in the left eye and 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 h in the right eye after administration of xylazine 2.0 mg/kg; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 h in both eyes after administration of xylazine 4.0 mg/kg; and 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2 and 3 h in the left eye and 0.75, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h in the right eye after administration of xylazine 8.0 mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Both medetomidine and xylazine significantly decreased feline tear flow measured by STT I. Therefore, the ocular surface should be monitored carefully and protected appropriately in cats treated with these sedatives.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30168740/