Plus-Hex CLINICAL
Sevoflurane is often preferable to isoflurane , as it is less aversive with regard to odour and therefore causes less breath-holding . With sevoflurane , there also is a more stable heart rate and less incidence of hypotension [ 2 ] . Sevoflurane is also known to be less irritating to mucous membranes compared with isoflurane .
Where inhalant agents are used for maintenance of anaesthesia , merely increasing the percentage of agent inhaled is no longer considered an appropriate method of managing the patient ' s pain during anaesthesia [ 39 ] . Instead , the anaesthesia and analgesia plan should be re-evaluated and further injectable agents administered to manage pain adequately ( Figure 16 ). Using minimal levels of inhalant agent for maintenance is recommended , due to these agents ' aforementioned negative effects .
Stress
It is worth considering fear , anxiety and stress alongside pain , as they negatively affect one another ; a patient that is in pain is likely to be stressed and anxious , and a patient that is anxious or stressed is likely to have a more extreme response to a painful stimulus . Fear and pain are ‘ two sides of the same coin ’ [ 40 ] . If a patient continues to exhibit behavioural signs of stress , despite pain being perceivably controlled , it is advisable to add anxiolytics or low-dose sedation .
In the authors ' experience , midazolam is commonly used to reduce stress in hospitalised ferrets , but butorphanol and gabapentin are also recommended [ 19 ] . Generally , unlike prey species , human-socialised ferrets will relax when handled , offered titbits or salmon oil during interventions , scruffed for a few minutes , or allowed to relax while being stroked or held [ 19 ] .
Ferrets prone to stress ( or about to experience stress ) should be administered an acid-reducing drug to protect against stomach ulcers . Injectable or oral famotidine is a commonly used drug in ferret rescue centres , especially for the first 5 – 7 days while the ferrets adjust to their new surroundings .
Many ferrets resent being given medication orally , but subcutaneous famotidine injections into the flank area , while the patient is distracted , are barely noticed by the recipient [ 19 ] .
Figure 16 . Giving a loading dose of ketamine before starting a ketamine CRI in a ferret showing signs of pain under anaesthetic .
Attaching a butterfly needle to a CRI can be used as a temporary measure if patient access is difficult during anaesthesia , until a T-connector can be placed ( Figure 17 ).
Figure 17 . A patient shown with a butterfly needle in place .
Detomidine is an α-2 adrenergic agent , which can be administered as a transmucosal gel in ferrets . It may be used for short procedures requiring immobilisation [ 41 ] , but the side effects of this drug must be considered [ 42 ] . Anxiolytics , which are used in cats and dogs , are being researched more widely in exotics [ 43 ] and have the potential to improve the welfare of the stressed or anxious hospitalised ferret .
When faced with a ferret with behavioural problems , it is important to first rule out medical disorders by consulting an exotics veterinary surgeon ( VS ) or a VS experienced with ferrets . Then , if necessary , a behaviourist who has knowledge , experience and further qualifications in ferrets or exotics should be consulted , to find out whether there are environmental and behavioural modifications that can be implemented to support the patient , before considering medication .
However , medication may be necessary in the first instance to break the cycle of fear and anxiety and reduce distress . Desmarchelier [ 43 ] reports a lack of peerreviewed reports on the use of psychoactive drugs to treat behavioural problems in pet ferrets , but states that environmental and behavioural modifications have been successful . The same author reports using α-casozepine and fluoxetine successfully in two separate cases of ferrets that exhibited ‘ problem behaviour ’ [ 43 ] , and also reports using gabapentin and trazodone in ferrets [ 44 ] alongside behavioural and environmental modifications .
Volume 40 ( 1 ) • February 2025
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