Exotics and Rabbits
Sandra Wenger DVM DiplECVAA MScWAH MRCVS
Welcome to the section on anaesthesia and analgesia in rabbits, exotic pets and zoo animals! This is a very wide and diverse field and it’s difficult to cover all the different species in each update. Therefore the plan is to alternate between anaesthetic updates/reviews in exotic pets (e.g. rabbits, rodents, birds and reptiles) and zoo animals and wildlife (e.g. primates, herbivores and carnivores).
June 2009 Update
Analgesia in reptiles
There are over 7000 species of reptiles, and the three major orders are snakes, lizards and tortoises/turtles. But although analgesia is an important aspect in reptile medicine, only a few studies have investigated the pharmacokinetics and effectiveness of analgesic agents in reptiles. This lack of knowledge often results in neglecting adequate pain management in reptilian patients. In a survey, 98.4% of 367 members of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians stated that they believe reptiles can feel pain. Nevertheless, only 39% of the aforementioned veterinarians reported using analgesics during surgical procedures in reptiles (Read 2004). Clearly, this area of reptile medicine must be addressed and further studies are needed to improve analgesia.
This article provides an excellent evidence based review of analgesia protocols for reptiles, giving dose and drug selection recommendations based on scientific data.
To read the full article log into the members section
The August newsletter provides an excellent review of anaesthesia in marine mammals
The field of marine mammal anaesthesia is an area of ongoing research, and new anaesthetic agents, protocols and monitoring techniques are regularly introduced. Marine mammals have unique anatomical and physiological adjustments to life at sea. The dive response is an important and complex physiological adaptation that can complicate anaesthesia and has been implicated as the cause of death of several anaesthetised marine mammals. Fatality rates up to 40% have been reported in marine mammals (Gales 1988, Phelan 1992). The present update focuses on the immobilisation of pinniped species. Specific protocols will not be presented here, as ongoing introduction of new methods as well as specific situations require tailored anaesthetic techniques for each procedure. To read more log into the members only section 
The focus of the April educational update is analgesia in rabbits:
To download the complete article and accompanying abstracts from the literature log in to the members only section
