INTRAVENOUS ALFAXALONE ANAESTHESIA IN TWO SQUAMATE SPECIES: EUBLEPHARIS MACULARIUS AND MORELIA SPILOTA CHEYNEI

The anaesthetic management of reptilian patient represents unique challenges. The marked morphology and physiology differences of reptiles do not allow the application of the same anaesthetic concepts used in the other domestic animal species. Many anaesthetic protocols have been used for induction to anaesthesia in snake and lizard species, generally with varying results. Most of these protocols resulted in prolonged induction time and recovery time. The aim of this doctoral thesis is to evaluate the efficacy of a neuroactive steroid anaesthetic drug (alfaxalone) administered intravenous in two squamate models: leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) and jungle carpet python (Morelia spilota cheynei). Two methods are described for intravenous anaesthesia with alfaxalone in 20 leopard geckos and in 10 jungle carpet python; a dose of 5 mg/kg of alfaxalone was used in leopard geckos, while a dose and 10 mg/kg of alfaxalone was used in carpet python. The venous access through the jugular vein (in geckos) and tail vein (in python) were successfully used. In the leopard geckos, the induction time, the mandibular tone lost time, interval of deep anaesthesia and the full recovery time were 27.5 ± 30.7 seconds, 1.3 ± 1.4 minutes, 12.5 ± 2.2 minutes and 18.8 ± 12.1 minutes, respectively. In the carpet python, the induction time occurred within 3.1±0.8 minutes, while the time of pain sensation loss, the mean tracheal tube insertion time, the interval of surgical state of anaesthesia, and the time of full recovery occurred within 5.6±0.7 minutes, 6.9 ± 0.9 minutes, 18.8 ± 4.7 minutes, and 36.7 ± 11.4 minutes, respectively. Intravenous administration of alfaxalone proved to be a valuable method of induction to inhalation anaesthesia in both studied squamate models.