Exotic Animal Anesthesia Flashcards
7 cards from real ICVA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Exotic Animal Anesthesia flashcards as text
Medetomidine is used in exotic small mammals primarily as which type of agent, and what drug fully reverses its effects?
Answer: Alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist, reversed by atipamezole
Medetomidine is an alpha-2 agonist and atipamezole is its specific reversal agent, allowing rapid recovery when needed.
Which intraosseous catheter site is most commonly used in avian patients when IV access cannot be obtained?
Answer: Distal ulna or proximal tibiotarsus
The distal ulna and proximal tibiotarsus are the preferred intraosseous sites in birds because they are accessible and allow rapid fluid or drug delivery.
Which exotic species is known to be particularly sensitive to acepromazine-induced hypotension and vasodilatation, making it a risky premedication choice?
Answer: Ferrets
Ferrets have a relatively low blood volume and are prone to severe hypotension with acepromazine, making alpha-2 agonists or benzodiazepines preferred alternatives.
In avian anesthesia, which monitoring parameter is considered the gold standard for assessing ventilation adequacy?
Answer: End-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) via capnography
ETCO2 via capnography is the gold standard in birds for assessing ventilation because pulse oximetry is often inaccurate due to avian nucleated red blood cells.
A green tree python is positioned for surgery and the anesthetist notes apnea lasting 4 minutes. What is the most appropriate action?
Answer: Provide assisted ventilation immediately and reduce anesthetic concentration
Snakes under anesthesia frequently develop apnea; assisted ventilation must be initiated promptly and anesthetic depth reassessed to prevent hypoxemia.
Which pharmacokinetic principle explains why drug dosing in reptiles must be adjusted based on environmental temperature?
Answer: Metabolic enzyme activity is temperature-dependent in ectotherms, altering drug metabolism rate
As ectotherms, reptile metabolic enzyme activity is directly tied to body temperature, so cooler temperatures slow drug metabolism and extend drug action.
What is the main advantage of using a non-rebreathing circuit (e.g., Bain circuit) over a rebreathing circle system for small exotic mammal anesthesia?
Answer: Reduced mechanical dead space and resistance, which is critical in small patients with low tidal volumes
Non-rebreathing circuits have minimal mechanical dead space and low resistance, which is essential for small exotic patients whose low tidal volumes could be overwhelmed by standard circuit resistance.