ABSTRACT
Small ‘exotic’ mammals or ‘pocket pets’ can be difficult to anesthetize, in large part because little information is available for many of these species. Standard anesthesia equipment like breathing systems for inhalant gas delivery, if useful at all, may need to be adapted for the patient and monitoring equipment may not be able to accurately detect/measure physiologic parameters. Analgesia should be provided for all patients, including small mammals. These patients do feel pain and pain causes adverse effects like delayed healing, gastro intestinal dysfunction, immune system suppression, anorexia, catabolism, insomnia, etc. Analgesic drugs useful in small mammals include the opioids, alpha-2 agonists, local anesthetics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Opioids are commonly used in small mammals and should be considered anytime that patients experience pain, especially moderate to severe pain. Depending on the duration & invasiveness of the procedure and the species & health of the patient, maintenance anesthesia can be achieved with either injectable or inhalant anesthetic drugs.
