Preface ix

Acknowledgements xi

About the Companion Website xiii

1 Concepts and Mechanisms of General Anaesthesia 1

2 Patient Safety 7

3 Pain 19

4 Sedation and Premedication: Small Animals 55

5 Injectable Anaesthetic Agents 77

6 Analgesic Infusions 95

7 Intravascular Catheters/Cannulae: Some Considerations and Complications 99

8 Inhalation Anaesthetic Agents 117

9 Anaesthetic Breathing Systems and Airway Devices 139

10 Anaesthetic Machines, Vaporisers, and Gas Cylinders 167

11 Anaesthetic Machine Checks 187

12 Local Anaesthetics 191

13 Local Anaesthetic Techniques for the Head: Small Animals 205

14 Local Anaesthetic Techniques for the Limbs: Small Animals 215

15 Miscellaneous Local Anaesthetic Techniques: Small Animals 237

16 Local Anaesthetic Techniques: Horses 243

17 Muscle Relaxants 259

18 Monitoring Animals during General Anaesthesia 279

19 Troubleshooting Some of the Problems Encountered in Anaesthetised Patients 307

20 Inadvertent Peri-operative Hypothermia 313

21 Blood Gas Analysis 321

22 Lactate 337

23 Fluid Therapy 347

24 Electrolytes 377

25 Drugs Affecting the Cardiovascular System 393

26 Shock, SIRS, MODS/MOF, Sepsis 401

27 Gastric Dilation/Volvulus (GDV) 423

28 Equine Sedation and Premedication 427

29 Equine Heart Murmurs 443

30 Equine Anaesthesia 445

31 Equine Intravenous Anaesthesia in the Field and Standing Chemical Restraint 477

32 Donkeys 481

33 Ruminants: Local and General Anaesthesia 485

34 Lamoids (South American Camelids) 519

35 Pigs: Sedation and Anaesthesia 529

36 Rabbit Anaesthesia 541

37 Neonates/Paediatrics 547

38 Senescent/Geriatric Patients 551

39 Pregnancy and Caesarean Sections 555

40 Obesity 561

41 Dental and Oral Considerations 567

42 Ocular Surgery Considerations 571

43 Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery Considerations 575

44 Renal Considerations 579

45 Hepatic Considerations 583

46 Endocrine Considerations 587

47 Background to Neuroanaesthesia for the Brain 595

48 Cardiac Considerations 603

49 Respiratory Considerations 607

50 Respiratory Emergencies 611

51 Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation (CPCR) 627

Appendix A Canine Emergency Drug Doses 637

Appendix B Feline Emergency Drug Doses 639

Appendix C Equine Emergency Drug Doses 641

Answers to Self-test Questions 643

Index 651