Related Experiment Videos
Equine stress responses to anaesthesia
1Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, Suffolk.
British Journal of Anaesthesia
|December 1, 1989
Summary
Equine anesthesia alone triggers a significant stress response, increasing glucose, lactate, cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels. Further research into safer anesthetic methods for horses is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Anesthesiology
- Equine Physiology
- Stress Response Research
Background:
- Limited data exists on equine stress responses to anesthesia and surgery.
- Understanding these responses is crucial for improving equine patient care.
- Common anesthetic protocols require further investigation for their physiological impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physiological stress response in ponies solely due to anesthesia.
- To quantify changes in key metabolic and hormonal markers during anesthesia.
- To establish a baseline for evaluating different anesthetic techniques in horses.
Main Methods:
- Six ponies underwent a 2-hour halothane anesthesia without surgical procedures.
- Plasma concentrations of glucose, lactate, non-esterified fatty acids, cortisol, insulin, catecholamines, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured.
- Measurements were compared to baseline conscious states in the same animals.
Main Results:
- Anesthesia significantly increased plasma glucose, lactate, cortisol, and ACTH levels.
- A notable decrease in plasma insulin concentration was observed during anesthesia.
- These physiological changes remained consistent when the study was repeated 18 months later.
Conclusions:
- General anesthesia using halothane induces a substantial stress response in horses.
- The findings highlight the need for developing more benign anesthetic techniques for equine species.
- Further studies should focus on alternative anesthetic protocols to mitigate stress in horses.