Ketamine hydrochloride as a General Anesthetic for Domestic Fowl Chicks: Quantal Response

Abstract

Ketamine hydrochloride was tested as a general anesthetic administered as a single intramuscular injection at doses of 1, 2, 6.7, 11.4, 20 or 22.2 mg/ bird to 2-day-old male Hisex White domestic fowl chicks weighing 30.75 g on average. In another trial, the drug was given to 6-day-old chicks of the same breed, weighing 37.7 g, at doses of 0.5, 1,2,5,8.6 or 12 mg/bird. Quantal response to treatment was expressed mathematically using probit analysis with LD50 = 3.71 mg/bird (120.7 mg/kg) for 2-day-old chicks compared with 3.75 mg/bird (99.5 mg/kg) for the older group. A dose as high as 51 mg/kg produced no mortality in 2-day-old chicks compared with a dose of 37.2 mg/kg in older birds. There is no significant difference between birds of the two age groups regarding the response to the drug as judged by the LD50 and regressive doses lower than this level. The rationale behind testing ketamine in domestic fowl chicks was discussed.