Field Anesthesia in the Equine

Abstract

Equine field practice commonly requires short- to medium-term anesthesia being induced in horses for either minor surgical or diagnostic procedures or for urgent medical care in emergency situations. Performing a general anesthetic in the field further increases the risk associated with equine anesthesia which already is high when compared with small animal or human anesthesia, even under best of hospital conditions. For this reason, cases for field anesthesia should be carefully selected and appropriate anesthesia protocols chosen by taking into account the peculiar setting of the location, the physical condition of the patient, and the specific circumstances of the surgical, diagnostic, or other procedures planned. This review provides an overview of the anesthetic techniques suitable for field anesthesia. First, the approach to the equine patient under field as compared with hospital conditions is addressed, followed by a detailed discussion of common field anesthetic protocols reported for use in adult horses and in foals. Finally, anesthetic protocols suitable for horses suffering injuries during or immediately after maximum exercise are addressed.