ANESTHESIA FOR LAMBS UNDERGOING SPINAL SURGERY - A CASE SERIES

Six 1-month-old lambs were anaesthetized for cervical spinal cord surg ery. Anaesthesia was induced with intravenous midazolam (0.5 mg/kg) th en halothane delivered by mask in an O-2-N2O mixture. After endotrache al intubation, the lungs were ventilated mechanically and anaesthesia maintained with halothane and nitrous oxide. Buprenorphine and flunixi n were given before and after surgery, and the wound margin was infilt rated with 0.5% bupivacaine solution. Neuromuscular block was produced with repeated injections of atracurium; neuromuscular transmission wa s restored with edrophonium. Lambs made a rapid recovery without obvio us signs of discomfort, sedation, or weakness after operations lasting up to 156 min. Anaesthesia was induced in a seventh lamb using etomid ate, which probably contributed to death during recovery from anaesthe sia.