¹Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wild Animal Diseases Department, TR-55200 Samsun - TÜRKİYE
²Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Surgery Department, TR-55200 Samsun - TÜRKİYE DOI : 10.9775/kvfd.2025.35320 The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intranasal butorphanol-diazepam sedation on tear production, intraocular pressure (IOP), and ocular biometry in Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis). Eighteen gulls (nine juvenile, nine adult) undergoing rehabilitation were included. Measurements from the left (n=18) and right (n=18) eyes were analyzed separately for Schirmer Tear Test I (STT-I), IOP, and ultrasonographic parameters. Sedation was achieved with intranasal diazepam (8mg/kg) and butorphanol (1mg/kg). The body weights of the gulls were 670.55±35.84 g for juveniles and 782.22±61.61 g for adults. The sedation protocol used in this study produced statistically significant decreases (P<0.05) in juvenile animals in STT-I, anterior chamber depth (ACD), vitreous chamber depth (VCD), axial globe length (AGL), equatorial globe width (EGW) and pecten oculi length (POL). Statistically significant increases (P<0.05) were detected in lens axial height (LAH) and axial globe height (AGH). In adults, statistically significant decreases (P<0.05) were observed in central corneal thickness (CCT), ACD, and VCD while LAH, EGW and AGH showed statistically significant increases (P<0.05). Although decreases in IOP and increases in lens thickness (LT) were noted in both groups, no statistically significant differences were detected. These results indicate that intranasal butorphanol-diazepam provides reliable sedation for ophthalmic assessment in Yellow-legged Gulls without adverse effects; however, its influence on ocular parameters should be considered when interpreting measurements under sedation. Keywords : Gulls, Intraocular pressure, Sedation, Schirmer test, Ultrasound