SHEEP GENERAL ANESTHESIA FOR EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH PROCEDURES

We evaluated an anesthesia protocol for sheep as an experimental animal for surgical procedures. The entire group (10 sheep, breed Tsigai, 4 years old, 60.91 kg mean body weight) underwent experimental dentistry surgery and received a complete anesthetic protocol: intramuscular premedication (midazolam 0.18 mg/kg, ketamine 4.6 mg/kg, butorphanol 0.1 mg/kg), intravenous induction (propofol 4.45 mg/kg), intubation (endo tracheal cuffed tubes, size 7.5 mm and 8 mm), gas maintenance (isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration of 1.5-2%, a standard small animal circle circuit and spontaneous respirations during the procedures). The protocol was completed with analgesia (meloxicam 1 mg/kg) and clinical monitoring during the entire surgical procedure and in the recovery phase. Sheep were infused at a rate of 5 ml/kg/h with Ringer's Lactate solution, during anesthesia. The anesthesia duration varied between 32 -215 minutes, with a mean of 83.7 minutes. No incidents or complications were recorded during anesthesia. One sheep presented myopathy and lameness (right forelimb) in the first 72 hours after anesthesia, possibly associated with the positioning and the length of the procedure (135 minutes).