Total Intravenous Anaesthesia with Ketamine, Medetomidine and Midazolam as Part of a Balanced Anaesthesia Technique in Horses Undergoing Castration

Cunneen, Alexandra; Pratt, Shaun; Perkins, Nigel; McEwen, Margaret; Truchetti, Geoffrey; Rainger, Joanne; Farry, Trish; Kidd, Lisa; Goodwin, Wendy

doi:10.3390/vetsci8080142

Open AccessArticle

Total Intravenous Anaesthesia with Ketamine, Medetomidine and Midazolam as Part of a Balanced Anaesthesia Technique in Horses Undergoing Castration

by

Alexandra Cunneen

^*,

Shaun Pratt

,

Nigel Perkins

,

Margaret McEwen

,

Geoffrey Truchetti

,

Joanne Rainger

,

Trish Farry

,

Lisa Kidd

and

Wendy Goodwin

School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Vet. Sci. 2021, 8(8), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8080142

Submission received: 26 May 2021 / Revised: 22 July 2021 / Accepted: 23 July 2021 / Published: 26 July 2021

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Abstract

To evaluate the use of ketamine-medetomidine-midazolam total intravenous infusion as part of a balanced anaesthetic technique for surgical castration in horses. Five healthy Standardbred cross colts were premedicated with IV acepromazine (0.01–0.02 mg/kg), medetomidine (7 µg/kg) and methadone (0.1 mg/kg) and anaesthesia induced with IV ketamine (2.2 mg/kg) and midazolam (0.06 mg/kg). Horses were anaesthetised for 40 min with an IV infusion of ketamine (3 mg/kg/h), medetomidine (5 µg/kg/h) and midazolam (0.1 mg/kg/h) while routine surgical castration was performed. Cardiorespiratory variables, arterial blood gases, and anaesthetic depth were assessed at 5 to 10 min intervals. Post-anaesthesia recovery times were recorded, and the quality of the recovery period was assessed. The anaesthetic period and surgical conditions were acceptable with good muscle relaxation and no additional anaesthetic required. The median (range) time from cessation of the infusion to endotracheal tube extubation, head lift and sternal recumbency were 17.2 (7–35) min, 25 (18.9–53) min and 28.1 (23–54) min, respectively. The quality of anaesthetic recovery was good, with horses standing 31.9 (28–61) min after the infusion was ceased. During anaesthesia, physiological variables, presented as a range of median values for each time point were: heart rate 37–44 beats/min, mean arterial pressure 107–119 mmHg, respiratory rate 6–13 breaths/min, arterial partial pressure of oxygen 88–126 mmHg, arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide 52–57 mmHg and pH 7.36–7.39. In conclusion, the co-administration of midazolam, ketamine and medetomidine as in IV infusion, when used as part of a balanced anaesthetic technique, was suitable for short term anaesthesia in horses undergoing castration.

Keywords: horse; balanced anaesthesia; midazolam; castration

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MDPI and ACS Style

Cunneen, A.; Pratt, S.; Perkins, N.; McEwen, M.; Truchetti, G.; Rainger, J.; Farry, T.; Kidd, L.; Goodwin, W. Total Intravenous Anaesthesia with Ketamine, Medetomidine and Midazolam as Part of a Balanced Anaesthesia Technique in Horses Undergoing Castration. Vet. Sci. 2021, 8, 142. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8080142

AMA Style

Cunneen A, Pratt S, Perkins N, McEwen M, Truchetti G, Rainger J, Farry T, Kidd L, Goodwin W. Total Intravenous Anaesthesia with Ketamine, Medetomidine and Midazolam as Part of a Balanced Anaesthesia Technique in Horses Undergoing Castration. Veterinary Sciences. 2021; 8(8):142. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8080142

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cunneen, Alexandra, Shaun Pratt, Nigel Perkins, Margaret McEwen, Geoffrey Truchetti, Joanne Rainger, Trish Farry, Lisa Kidd, and Wendy Goodwin. 2021. "Total Intravenous Anaesthesia with Ketamine, Medetomidine and Midazolam as Part of a Balanced Anaesthesia Technique in Horses Undergoing Castration" Veterinary Sciences 8, no. 8: 142. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8080142

APA Style

Cunneen, A., Pratt, S., Perkins, N., McEwen, M., Truchetti, G., Rainger, J., Farry, T., Kidd, L., & Goodwin, W. (2021). Total Intravenous Anaesthesia with Ketamine, Medetomidine and Midazolam as Part of a Balanced Anaesthesia Technique in Horses Undergoing Castration. Veterinary Sciences, 8(8), 142. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8080142

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Total Intravenous Anaesthesia with Ketamine, Medetomidine and Midazolam as Part of a Balanced Anaesthesia Technique in Horses Undergoing Castration

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