From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-08-19 16:36:55 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] dental health - anesthesia
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <4253269.1124469415877.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
While some trusted expert vets have mentioned using Ketamine safely they also have used precautions when doing so. More often for ferrets Iso or Sevo gases are recommended (See past vet posts in the archives.) because if something goes wrong it can be cleared out of the system fast. Injected anesthesia takes longer to process out.
Yes, in some human studies Ketamine has had psychological effects in those past early ages. That's been known since the 70s at least because it was why we would not use in chimps after a certain age when I was helping with mobility studies. The effect had a high probability in humans of being a really bad and frightening one so you can understand our caution. (Yes, the primates I worked with had marvelous living conditions in the years when I was there and the same studies were also done on us humans so I can say that they were not painful.) I do NOT know if Ketamine has a psychological effect on members of Carnivora, but I have heard it postulated as a possibility -- which means "maybe, maybe not", so for that reason also -- just in case -- we personally prefer it avoided for our ferrets.
-- Sukie (not a vet)
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