General Anesthesia in Exotic Animal Species Flashcards
what are hypotherms?
animals that regulate core body temp via altering metabolism
what are poikilotherms?
animals that depend on changes in the environment to regulate their temperature
why is temperament an important factor in anesthesia?
- prey species programmed to run
- large exotics dangerous
- general knowledge of behavior and temperament helps determine what drugs to use, dose of drugs, route, and safest environment to perform anesthesia in
how does this species react to stress? can i approach my patient? is this a social or solitary animal?
innate weaponry
- patient’s ability to harm themselves or us
- elephant, rhino, hoofstock can hurt themselves or a handler if they fall during induction
- small carnivores have sharp teeth and claws
- rabbits and rodents cause scratch and bite wounds
- lizards and snakes bite and claw, can crush finger
- birds have super strong beaks
- raptors and owls have sharp talons
- some animals that remain in groups can injure others, or other species will target a down herdmate/etc
T/F: it is okay to put an elephant in sternal recumbency in emergency situations
false! they do NOT ventilate well in sternal recumbency
why don’t elephants ventilate well in sternal recumbency?
immense pressure placed on their diaphragm!!
what is different about the trachea of penguins?
it is bifurcated at varying locations; some more cranially than others. this is important when trying to place an endotracheal tube!
where does a snake’s heart lie?
at the intersection of the cranial and middle third of its body length: useful when listening to heart sounds or placing Doppler crystal
T/F: the trachea is easily visualized in most avian and lizard species
true! because the tracheal opening is very rostral in most of these species
T/F: it is very challenging to place an endotracheal tube in large camelids
true! larynx must be palpated and tubes are placed by “feel”
why would a small mammal only need a mask or cone for oxygen delivery?
they are obligate nasal breathers, thus only nose needs covered with a mask or cone for delivery of oxygen or inhalant anesthetics
why is assisting turtles in anesthesia important?
turtle lungs “hang” from its dorsal shell, and they ventilate themselves by actively increasing the size of their celomic cavity
this means they don’t spontaneously ventilate well in dorsal recumbency, and also that they can be mechanically ventilated by moving their front legs in and out of their shell
what is metabolic scaling?
the theory that the metabolism of all organisms is inversely related to the 3/4 power of the their body mass
= metabolism of small organisms will be orders of magnitude higher than that of large mammals
what are the practical implications of metabolic scaling in anesthesia?
- higher doses of drugs on a dose per body weight basis will be needed for small animals, while lower doses are likely needed to achieve the same effect in larger animals
- smaller animals are more likely to become hypoglycemic and hypothermic during and after anesthesia: their rapid metabolism requires a lot of substrate, and depression of cellular metabolism leads to decreased heat production
who is more likely to become hypothermic and hypoglycemic during and after anesthesia: a mouse or an elephant?
a mouse: more likely for small animals to become hypoglycemic and hypothermic bc their rapid metabolism requires large amts of substrate
what is BAM?
butorphanol, azaperone, medetomidine
