The ideal anaesthetic drug produces reversible unconsciousness and analgesia without disturbing homeostasis within the organism. Unfortunately all drugs available to produce anaesthesia have side effects of different severity. The most important side effect in common for all anaesthetic drugs decreases the activity in the cardiovascular and respiratory centre. This already becomes obvious at therapeutic doses. A safe anaesthesia therefore requires good knowledge about the drugs, their use and side effects. This is important for sedation as well as general anaesthesia in the field or in the operating theatre. The surgery itself as well as the duration is important for the safety of the patient. Horses can react with a high interindividual difference to the same anaesthetic and the difference between physiologic interindividual differences or pathological reaction can only be distinguished by collecting experience by observing and monitoring each individual patient.
horse - monitoring - anaesthesia - cardiovascular - respiratory
