Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dexmedetomidine injection lowers eye pressure and shrinks pupils
By Artigas, Cristina et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2012·Animal Medicine and Surgery Department, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effects of intravenous administration of dexmedetomidine on intraocular pressure and pupil size in clinically normal dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of healthy dogs was given an intravenous injection of dexmedetomidine, a sedative, to see how it affected their eye pressure and pupil size. After the injection, the dogs showed a significant decrease in eye pressure after 20 minutes, and their pupils became smaller within the first 10 minutes. By the 20-minute mark, the pupil size returned to levels similar to before the injection. This suggests that dexmedetomidine can be a good choice for procedures requiring eye pressure control, but it should be paired with other medications to fully dilate the pupils when necessary.
People also search for: dog eye pressure treatment · dexmedetomidine effects on dogs · dog pupil size changes after sedation
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the intravenous administration of dexmedetomidine on the intraocular pressure (IOP) and pupil size (PS) in normal dogs. ANIMALS STUDIED: Forty-two animals with no ocular abnormalities were included in this study. PROCEDURE: Following initial readings (T(0)) of IOP and PS, the dogs received an intravenous injection of dexmedetomidine (5 μg/kg). Both measurements were repeated 10 min (T(10) ) and 20 min (T(20)) later. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in IOP measurements between T(0) and T(10), although a significant decrease was observed at T(20). A significant miosis was found in the first 10 min after sedation. At T(20), the PS slightly increased, resulting in no statistical differences with T(0) and T(10). CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine is an excellent option for surgery or diagnostic ocular procedures in dogs when a specific control of IOP is required. However, it must be used in combination with mydriatics in ophthalmic surgical or diagnostic procedures, which require complete dilation of the pupil.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22050915/