Fnal Video: Injectable anaesthesia in spaying A Caterwauling Cat
Channel: Dr David Sing
Date: 2014-04-03

Apr 4, 2014 Singapore, Toa Payoh Vets

Spaying a caterwauling cat on a Sunday. 

I am Dr Sing Kong Yuen, veterinary surgeon from Toa Payoh Vets, www.toapayohvets.com.

I share with vets my experiences on the use xylazine + ketamine injectable anaesthesia for all my cat spays and neuters. I find this combination to be effective and safe. The duration of analgesia is around 30 minutes, 5-10 minutes after the time of injection. Isoflurane + oxygen gas top up is given if necessary but usually it is not, if I can complete my spay within 30 minutes after injection. 

In this case, for a 3.6 kg Maine Coon, I used xylazine + ketamine 0.15 + 0.6 ml in one syringe IM to be effective. I always place two horizontal ;mattresses in the 1 cm skin incision.

I gave baytril and tolfedine inj SC after the spay and the cat goes home with 4 days of tolfedine and 5 days of antibiotics. Usually I don't prescribe e-collars but taped up the surgical wound. With post-op painkillers and antibiotics, I find that there were no complaints from the spayed cats as exemplified in this case.  

I phoned the owner on the 18th day (April 3, 2014), to follow up. He was most happy with the surgical outcome as there was no post-op complications.   

As a general guide, cats weighing less than 3 kg, I give 0.1 ml xylazine + 0.4 ml ketamine IM. More than 4.5 kg, I give 0.2 ml + 0.8 ml IM. Between 3 - 4kg, I give 0.15 + 0.6 ml respectively.  lSingapore cats seldom weigh more than 8 kg.  

No Reverzin to reverse the effects of xylazine is used by me. Another vet use Reverzin routinely. 

I use absorbable sutures so that the cat owner does not need to come back for stitch removal. 

This video is to share my experience of the safe use of xylazine and ketamine IM in cats. Some vets prefer other drugs and IV injectables, but I find this IM injectable combination of 2 drugs to be safe and effective. I have isoflurane gas to top up anaesthesia if necessary. 
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