Anesthesia in Cattle

Abstract

Due to the nature of cattle, most surgical procedures can be accomplishe1 with physical restraint and local anesthesia. This is an excellent method for most surgical procedures, but what about the procedures where more complete anesthesia is desired or required? How often is a surgical procedure not performed or performed inadequately because it would require the use of general anesthesia?

First, let us look at the use of local and regional anesthesia. Local anesthetic agents prevent the conduction
of nerve impulses along the nerves and thus, the patient perceives no pain.

The concepts of general anesthesia in cattle are very similar to anesthesia in other animals, except for a few species variations. Prior to anesthetizing any animal, a few precautions are necessary. A routine physical exam should be performed to determine the state of health of the animal. Particular attention should be paid to the cardiopulmonary system. Basic clinical pathology tests should be performed to obtain baseline data for the animal. These tests would include a complete blood count, serum electrolytes, minerals, blood urea nitrogen, and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase. Animals with metabolic disturbances are poorer anesthetic risks than healthy animals.