Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Using alfaxalone anesthesia for cat neutering surgery
By Beths, Thierry et al.·Published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery·2013·Faculty of Veterinary Science, Melbourne University Veterinary Hospital, Werribee, VIC, Australia, Australia·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Clinical evaluation of alfaxalone to induce and maintain anaesthesia in cats undergoing neutering procedures
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 34 cats, aged 6 to 18 months, underwent neutering surgery using a combination of medications, including alfaxalone for anesthesia. The cats were premedicated with medetomidine and morphine, and all were monitored closely during the procedure. Most cats took over 30 minutes to start moving again after surgery, with some needing an additional medication to help them wake up. While the anesthesia was effective and no breathing problems occurred, some cats experienced lower body temperatures, which may have contributed to longer recovery times. Overall, the combination of medications worked well for safely anesthetizing the cats during their surgeries.
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Abstract
This study looked at the use and efficacy of alfaxalone for total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) in cats. Following intramuscular medetomidine (20 μg/kg) and morphine (0.3 mg/kg) premedication, anaesthesia was induced and maintained with intravenous alfaxalone. Patients were breathing 100% oxygen. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), end-tidal carbon dioxide, oxygen saturation of haemoglobin and indirect arterial blood pressure via Doppler (DAP) were recorded every 5 mins. Thirty-four cats (10 males and 24 females), between the age of 6 and 18 months, and weighing between 1.8 and 5.3 kg, and undergoing neutering procedures were included in this study. The results are presented as median (min, max) values. The time to first spontaneous movement (TS) was >30 mins in 19 cats, of which 12 received atipamezole for reversal of the effects of medetomidine. The TS was 53 (43, 130) mins in these 12 cats and 50 (40, 72) mins in the other seven cats. The body temperature in those 19 cats was significantly lower than the other cats ( P = 0.05). The alfaxalone induction dose and maintenance infusion rate were1.7 (0.7, 3.0) mg/kg and 0.18 (0.06, 0.25) mg/kg/min, respectively. The HR, RR and DAP were 145 (68, 235) beats/min, 17 (5, 40) breaths/min and 110 (58, 210) mmHg, respectively. Apnoea was not observed in any cat. In conclusion, alfaxalone TIVA in combination with medetomidine and morphine premedication was effective in feral and domestic cats for the performance of neutering surgery; low body temperature might have resulted in longer recoveries in some cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612x13514420