To Matt:
 
> Is there a specific anaesthetic that I should request from a vet?
 
        Matt - you should make sure that your vet is using Isoflurane.  I
would not use a vet who used injectable anesthetic for surgery - chances are
much higher for overdosing.  The inhalant anesthetics work the best, and
isoflurane is one of the newest of these.  Older anesthetics, such as
halothane caused increased amounts of heart arrythmias, which under
anesthesia, may be fatal.
 
        I won't use anything but isoflurane in my ferrets - besides being
safe, you can do routine short procedures, like drawing blood, with just a
little isoflurane and nothing else.  Then they're up and running around in 5
minutes.
 
Bruce H. Williams, DVM         Dept. of Veterinary Pathology
Chief Pathologist, AccuPath    Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]         Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
                               [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1216]