Background: Atlantoaxial (AA) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection in standing horses utilizes the controlled narcotic morphine, thereby limiting feasibility in field practice settings.
Objectives: To compare AA CSF collection time and reaction scores in horses sedated with morphine-containing and opioid-free sedation protocols: detomidine + morphine (DM), detomidine + xylazine (DX), detomidine + detomidine (DD), detomidine alone (D0); To develop a novel method for assessing sedation in standing horses using open-source motion-tracking software.
Animals: Six healthy adult horses.