Morphine (0.1 mg/kg) diluted with 0.9 saline to a volume of 0.13 mL/kg was administered into the epidural space at the lumbosacral junction in 10 halothane‐anesthetized goats immediately before discontinuation of halothane. The same volume of 0.9 saline was given to control group of eight anesthetized goats. Both groups had undergone an orthopedic procedure that replaced the anterior cruciate ligament with a patellar tendon autograft. The appearance and unprovoked behavior of goats in the morphine group were significantly different (p<.05) from the saline groups. The goats in the morphine group were more sedate and struggled less during recovery. Epidural morphine did not produce respiratory depression or bloat during a 9 hour observation period. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure (mean, systolic, and diastolic) of the morphine group did not differ from those of the control grou
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