Comparison of Three Anesthetics for Chinchilla

Abstract : Anesthesia techniques which successfully induce surgical anesthesia in Chinchilla villidera are described and compared. Two injectables, ketamine-acepromazine and ketamine-xylazine, are compared to halothane-nitrous oxide administered by mask only and the same mixture administered by induction chamber until loss of righting reflex and then mask. Forty laboratory-raised adult chinchillas in four groups were used in this study. Subjects were weighed and dosages calculated and administered. All achieved surgical anesthesia with no deaths. Time to loss of righting reflex, time to surgical anesthesia, duration of surgical anesthesia, time from end of surgical anesthesia to standing unaided, and total time from administration of anesthesia to standing unaided are detailed. Findings indicate that the doses evaluated of ketamine-acepromazine, ketamine-xylazine, and halothane-nitrous oxide all provide safe, dependable surgical anesthesia. Keywords: Ketamine, Xylazine, Acepromazine, Anesthesia.