Routine veterinary anaesthetic management practices in South Africa

A survey of the routine anaesthetic management of dogs and cats during sterilisation by veterinarians in South Africa was conducted. This report describes the premedication, induction and maintenance agents most commonly used in dogs and cats. Information about monitoring of patients during the procedure and who is responsible for induction of anaesthesia and monitoring was obtained. Questionnaires were analysed with regard to demographic data, practice size, continuing education, the number of surgical procedures and sterilisations performed per week and an estimate of yearly mortality. Acetylpromazine is the most commonly used premedication in dogs and xylazine in cats. Thiopentone in dogs and alphaxalone/alphadolone in cats were the induction agents most commonly used. Alphaxalone/alphadolone in cats and halothane in dogs are the most commonly used maintenance agents. Records of anaesthesia are poorly kept and monitoring of patients is poorly performed. Respiratory rate is the parameter most commonly monitored (90.7%), and in most cases is the sole parameter. On average 10.34 +/- 8.25 cats were operated per week, of which 5.45 +/- 5.60 were sterilised; 17.79 +/- 11.61 dogs were operated per week, of which 8.65 +/- 7.10 were sterilised. In total, 190 patients died under anaesthesia, a mortality rate of 1:1,243. Just over 50% of practitioners had attended continuing education courses during their careers.