Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Alfaxalone anesthesia for dog C-sections is safe and effective
By Metcalfe, S et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2014·Applecross Veterinary Hospital, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Multicentre, randomised clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of alfaxalone administered to bitches for induction of anaesthesia prior to caesarean section.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 74 female dogs undergoing cesarean sections were given either alfaxalone or propofol to help them go under anesthesia. Most of the dogs that received alfaxalone had excellent scores for how well they were put to sleep and how effectively the anesthesia worked, with no fatalities reported. The puppies born from both groups had similar survival rates, with over 95% alive 24 hours after birth. This study shows that alfaxalone is a safe and effective option for anesthesia during cesarean sections in dogs.
People also search for: dog cesarean section anesthesia · alfaxalone for dogs · puppy survival after birth · propofol vs alfaxalone for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical safety and efficacy of alfaxalone in bitches undergoing caesarean section (CS) and their puppies when it is administered for induction of anaesthesia followed by maintenance with isoflurane and oxygen and in conjunction with perioperative pharmaceuticals. DESIGN: A multicentre, randomised, positive-controlled clinical study. METHODS: A total of 74 bitches were enrolled in the study with 48/74 (65%) and 26/74 (35%) receiving alfaxalone and propofol, respectively, for induction of anaesthesia. Bitches were examined prior to induction and monitored during induction, surgery and recovery. Assessments were made for quality of induction, maintenance and recovery from anaesthesia. Assessments were made on pup viability for suction, dorsal flexion, withdrawal and anogenital reflexes. RESULTS: Of the 48 bitches receiving alfaxalone, 47 (98%) and 39 (81%) scored a top score of excellent for induction and anaesthesia effectiveness, respectively. For the same parameters with propofol in 26 bitches, 23 (88%) and 17 (65%) scored excellent. Average scores for recovery were not different between the two treatment groups with alfaxalone 46/48 (96%) and 25/26 (96%) of propofol induced bitches scoring a good or excellent rating. Bitches tolerated a number of concurrent medications throughout the peri-operative period. No bitch fatalities were observed in this study. There were no statistically significant differences between treatment groups for the puppy variables. Live puppies born by CS to bitches having been administered alfaxalone or propofol had similar survival rates 24 h after birth (i.e. 205/213 (96%) and 124/131 (95%), respectively). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the safety and efficacy of alfaxalone for the purpose of anaesthetic induction for CS in the bitch. In addition, alfaxalone had a negligible effect on the neonate with >95% of puppies alive 24 h after the bitch had recovered from anaesthesia with alfaxalone induction.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25156052/