General anaesthesia

There are several reasons why your horse may need surgery under a general anaesthetic. Here is what to expect before, during and after the anaesthetising process, says Dr Mac.

- Dr Mac.

Vets tend to use technical terms that baffle owners. Sedation, analgesia, local anaesthesia and general anaesthesia are words that can often make a client feel a little anxious, and adds to the anxiety of an already ill or injured horse.

Veterinary sedatives, anaesthetics and analgesics are prescription drugs, and are scheduled under the Medicines and Related Substances Act No. 101.

Most owners have seen a vet inject a local anaesthetic into a horse’s skin before stitching a wound. Anaesthesia is the loss of physical sensation, with or without loss of consciousness. This is different from analgesia, which means pain relief without loss of consciousness and without total loss of feeling or movement.