Anesthesia and sedation in the field

Abstract

The principles of general anesthesia in the horse do not differ significantly from those of other species. The primary goals include muscle relaxation, unconsciousness, and analgesia. This is typically best accomplished by using a balanced anesthesia regimen that includes premedication, induction, maintenance, and additional analgesics. Equine anesthesia requires medications with a high degree of predictable activity in order to minimize risks to the horse and its handlers. Clinical pharmacology of equine anesthetic drugs including sedatives, analgesics and muscle relaxants are discussed in detail. Perioperative infusions are used in conjunction with inhalant anesthesia to provide analgesia ..