Injectable anaesthesia for spaying a Maine Coon cat 1/2
Channel: Dr David Sing
Date: 2014-03-20

This video is my contribution to veterinary anaesthesia sharing an example of my use of injectable anaesthesia in the spay of cats with younger vets who may wish to know more about dosages for injectable  anaesthetics.  

Injectable anaesthesia can be a safe, prompt and effective method of anaesthesia in spaying a cat.  Isoflurane + oxygen gas are ideal as they are safer anaesthetics compared to injectables.. 

In some countries, the purchase of anaethetic machines and isoflurane and the repairs require much more investment

Injectable anaesthetics are just as safe if they are given in correct dosage in the spays and neuters of cats that are completed within 30 minutes, in my experience.   

As part of my sharing of clinical research knowledge for vets starting up, I  have found that Xylazine 0.15 ml  + Ketamine 0.6 ml IM in one syringe for a 3.6 kg young female cat are effective if the vet can complete the spay within 30 minutes as in this case. The duration of analgesia is around 30 minutes for this dosage. . 

Topping up with more injectables or isoflurane  + Oxygen gas was not necessary in this case. The Maine Coon has recovered from spay as at Mar 24, 2014 (5 days post spay).

For cats less than 3 kg, I use Xylazine 20 + Ketamine 100 at 0.1 ml + 0.4 ml respectively. For cats over 4 kg, the combination will be 0.2 ml + 0.8 ml respectively.

In this caterwauling Maine Coon of 3.6 kg, I used 0.15 ml + 0.6 ml IM  respectively. Analgesia lasted around 30 minutes and the spay was completed just in time without the need to top up with isoflurane + oxygen gas.

When I started practice some 40 years ago, I used Xylazine 0.2 ml IM and then isoflurane + O2 gas maintenance by mask to spay the cat. 

Each vet will have his or her own preferences. 

Dr Sing Kong Yuen, Toa Payoh Vets