Objectives

Give to the veterinarians a new immediately pharmacologic stimulation technique on anorexic patients. Avoid negative consequences that produces anorexia and know the neurotransmisors function on the lateral hypothalamus (appetite center), like Serotonin and Gammaaminobutiric Acid (GABA), and its inhibition on sub-therapeutical doses 5 mcg-1 mg/kg., stimulating with Propofol the appetite center on anorexic dogs.

Materials & Methods

Different veterinarian hospitals and clinics of the Mexican Republic participated on the project. There were hospitalized 100 dogs of different breeds, 60 males and 40 females with more than two days of anorexia. The dogs had an average weight of twenty (20) kgs. A control group of 50 patients, 30 males and 20 females between ages of 2 and 14 years old were on the survey. The clinical history, physical exam, laboratory tests and diagnostic necessary complementary tests were done. The patients were catheterized in the cephalic vein and hydroelectric and acid-basis des balances were corrected. Patients were treated on the basis with the results of laboratory and complementary tests. The energetic and metabolic requirements were calculated depending of the disease. According to the disease of the patient, the diet was decided. The diet was discriminated and Propofol was administered at 5 mcg for 1 mg/kg., through intravenous doses, depending on the physical condition of the patient. Cardiac and respiratory frequencies and pulse oximetry, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were supervised during all the orexigenic stimulation on the dogs. On the control group, the procedure was the same and a physiologic saline solution on the equal total doses of Propofol was administered. On some patients, was necessary to stimulate with Propofol for more than five (5) times. For this reason, hepatic and renal functions were monitored with laboratory tests.

Results

On thirty percent (30) of the patients were observed a light sedation period after drug administration during an average of three minutes (VAS). After this time, a strong appetite was observed approximately in fifteen (15) minutes on stimulated dogs. Enough time for necessary energetic requirement administration through commercial diets on the dogs were supplied according to the disease of the patient. No alterations were observed on cardiac and respiratory frequencies and pulse oxymetry parameters. All the patients ate after the Propofol stimulation. On the control group no positive answer were observed after saline physiologic solution administration. For this reason, this group of patients was chemically stimulated with Propofol. With the collected data, a variance test analysis using a statistical package SAS, obtaining significant differences (P<0.05) comparing with the control group. On the patients which were stimulated on different opportunities with Propofol, was not observed any secondary collateral effects with this drug administration.

Conclusion

The Propofol is a worldwide endovenous anesthetic agent used in veterinary and human medicine. It is a short action agent, with hepatic and extrahepatic metabolism and renal excretion. It is used in total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA), as a inductor in general anesthesia. It is also been used in the craneoencephalic trauma treatment, in the refractory convulsion treatment to barbiturics administration, early treatment as antiemetic after the treatment with chemotherapies (human being). The early anorexia treatment avoids the patient deleterious condition and stimulates the fastest recovery of the disease. As authors of the present research, we worldwide recommend Propofol administration of the previously described doses over anorexic dogs, because it is a simple technique, of easy application, without collateral effects, and it is not expensive. It diminished the hospitalization time period and quicker patient recovery. In addition, with a good clinic diagnosis and medical treatment.