A COMPARISON OF SEVOFLURANE AND ISOFLURANE FOR SHORT-TERM ANESTHESIA IN POLECATS (MUSTELA-EVERSMANNI)

Twenty-four Siberian polecats (Mustela eversmanni) from 12 litters wer e anesthetized with either inhaled sevoflurane or isoflurane. With 7% delivered sevoflurane and 5% delivered isoflurane, time to loss of rig hting reflex ((x) over bar +/- SE) with sevoflurane (1.9 +/- 0.1 min) was significantly shorter compared with isoflurane (2.6 +/- 0.1 min). During maintenance at a light plane of anesthesia, systolic arterial p ressure was significantly higher with sevoflurane (83 +/- 2 mm Hg) com pared with isoflurane (66 +/- 2 mm Hg), and heart rate was significant ly lower with sevoflurane (191 +/- 3 beats/min) compared with isoflura ne (204 +/- 3 beats/min). There was no difference in respiratory rate, jugular venous pH, pCO(2), HCO3-, base excess, or recovery of rightin g reflex. Induction of anesthesia is more rapid and blood pressure is better maintained with sevoflurane compared with isoflurane; therefore , sevoflurane may be less stressful and safer. Inhaled sevoflurane sho uld be an appropriate anesthetic for black-footed ferrets (Mustela nig ripes) in laboratory and field conditions.