The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of butorphanol in female cats anesthetized with propofol, for elective ovariosalpingohysterectomy. Twenty adult female cats were randomly distributed in two groups of ten animals each (G1 and G2). G1 received intramusculary, 1mg/kg of levomepromazine, followed 30 minutes later, by anesthetic induction with propofol (8.0 ± 2.0mg/kg, intravenously). Anesthesia was maintened during 60 minutes through complementary doses of propofol (3mg/kg), whenever necessary. For G2 the same metodology was used, except for the addiction of butorphanol (0.4mg/kg intramusculary) in the premedication. In both groups there was significant reduction of corporal temperature. The other physiological variables, heart rate, respiratory rate and arterial pressure, had changes although without clinical or statistical meaning for the species. The concentrations of plasmatic cortisol in the G2 stayed inside the physiologic limits and in G1 there was an increase of those values during the surgical procedure. The butorphanol didn't reduce the dose of propofol, even though it determined a larger comfort for the animals during the execution of the surgical intervention, what would indicate its inclusion in anesthetics protocols for the species.
surgery; opioids; ovariosalpingohysterectomy; cortisol
