Clinical evaluation of Alfaxan-CD(R) as an intravenous anaesthetic in young cats.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and evaluate the use of Alfaxan-CD as an intravenous anaesthetic in young cats.


METHODS
Thirty-five Domestic Short-hair cats aged from 3 to 12 months were admitted into the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital-Sydney for elective surgery. Anaesthesia was induced with Alfaxan-CD and maintained with isoflurane: 22 cats received no premedication and 13 cats received acepromazine (0.03 mg/kg) and butorphanol (0.3 mg/kg) subcutaneously 30 min prior to induction. Qualitative and quantitative data for induction and recovery were recorded. Physiological parameters were recorded at 0, 2 and 5 min post induction, and every 5 min thereafter until the end of the procedure.


RESULTS
Intravenous injection of Alfaxan-CD resulted in rapid induction of anaesthesia with a mean time to intubation of 122 s. The mean dose of Alfaxan-CD used was 4.2 mg/kg in unpremedicated cats and 2.7 mg/kg in premedicated cats. All cats maintained a heart rate above 95 beats/min. No cat developed hypoxaemia. Hypercapnoea was detected in 4 cats and hypotension was observed in 18 cats. Time to extubation ranged from 1 to 9 min. The mean time to sternal recumbency for premedicated cats was 11 min; 77% of premedicated cats and 23% of unpremedicated cats had a recovery score of 1 or 2.


CONCLUSIONS
Alfaxan-CD is an effective anaesthetic agent in young healthy cats, providing a smooth induction and rapid recovery. Cats that were premedicated with acepromazine and butorphanol prior to induction with Alfaxan-CD had better recovery scores than those that were not premedicated.
Zaki
S
S
Anaesthesia Unit, University Veterinary Teaching Hospital-Sydney, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia. szaki@mail.usyd.edu.au
Ticehurst
Ke
K
Miyaki
Y
Y
D000075:Acepromazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002077:Butorphanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011277:Pregnanediones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011292:Premedication / Q000662:veterinary*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D011277:Pregnanediones; D000075:Acepromazine; C006477:alphaxalone; D007530:Isoflurane; D002077:Butorphanol