Neutering

[Dantes]

Hopefully he has settled down by now. Did he receive ketamine as part of his anesthesia? His behavior reminds me of a ketamine reaction that some cats get - manic behavior - but it generally resolved after 24-48 hrs.

Interesting--I didn't think to ask. He's still a little manic today but not as much as yesterday. I'm hoping he will resume his armpit sleeping habit tonight, it's a warm night but can be chilly without one's armpit warmer. Right now he's running all over the house, whereas normally he's settled down into the armpit position by now.

 

[Treywi]

I know with Bengals Ketamine is not good for them. Is that the same for Savannahs? Unfortunately even after many times saying no Ketamine when I took in my two Bengals they still used it. They came home very drunk like. Couldn't stand or walk without falling over for hours. Had to leave them in their carrier so they wouldn't hurt themselves.
Hope Dantes is back to his armpit sleeping habit soon.

 

[Dantes]

Well, my armpits went to sleep hairless, but then woke up hairy, and purry, so maybe tonight he will be back to his usual habits.

I wish I had known about ketamine. If it really affected him like that, maybe he also had an upset stomach or something and that's why he was a bit off.

Maybe there should be a big, sticky post with "things you should know about Savannahs" with something about Ketamine intolerance in it? Or maybe there is but I glossed over it, that would be sad. Going to look now to see if there's anything else that I missed.

Edit: This is the only place on this site where Ketamine is mentioned: http://www.savannahcatchat.com/threads/another-anesthesia-thread.633/#post-7790

 

[admin]

I know many people who have had ketamine used in conjunction with other anesthetics with absolutely no problem. There are many variances that apply in the case of anesthetics used, so I may be at odds with others here who believe no ketamine should be used. I believe we discussed this in the vet's corner.

first off, it could be that F1's do not tolerate ketamine, per se, but I have yet to see any scientific evidence of that. It could be that a lesser dose needs to be used...when it comes to F1's and F2's, i would probably err on the side of caution...

second - it also could be the dosage used which causes side effects...

third - I don't want my vet using any type of anesthetic he has not used before - that is a lot more dangerous - IMO.

That is my 2 cents on it...at any given time, any anesthetic can cause an adverse reaction.

 

[Patti]

I know with Bengals Ketamine is not good for them. Is that the same for Savannahs? Unfortunately even after many times saying no Ketamine when I took in my two Bengals they still used it. They came home very drunk like. Couldn't stand or walk without falling over for hours. Had to leave them in their carrier so they wouldn't hurt themselves.
Hope Dantes is back to his armpit sleeping habit soon.

It is not breed specific, ketamine is just one of those drugs that has a higher than normal side effect profile. It was even taken off the market for awhile. Now it is being used as part of a pre-induction cocktail and vets are starting to use it again However, just as with any drug, there will be those who are more sensitive and will have reactions.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I agree with Patti, it's not breed specific...you'll find breeders of all sorts of breeds warning against ketamine.

I've read, and think it makes sense, that it is cats with low body fat that can have issues with ketamine..especially in the case of overdoses (which do happen with ketamine, being an injectable anesthetic there's no taking it back once given)... dosing is done by body weight assuming a normal distribution of fat and muscle... as fat tends to absorb the drug, then they calculate for that. If a cat is slender then all the drug enters the system and that part that was calculated to be absorbed by fat is not and enters the system in addition.

But think about it, humans illicitly get hold of ketamine and take it as a party drug because of the hallucinatory effects of it...special K... so no wonder a cat can be out of it when given it. Hope your kitty feels better now!

 

[Lori Greer]

Duma has an appt at the SPCA vet on Tuesday. I am so sad for my little boy!

(my heart keeps saying I should wait a few months more, but my mind says get it done now before he sprays)

The boys barely blink over it... really. Spays take a while to heal from and more invasive. I'm sure he will bounce right back to himself once the anesthesia wears off.

 

[Laura W]

I take both males and females to the local spay/neuter clinic. Fact is they do more alterations in one day than most of the standard vet offices do in a month. They also work with my primary vet for emergencies, so on the remote chance anything did go wrong they would consult or transfer the cat/dog to where I take them anyway. 45 neuter, 55 spay on cats and 10 dollars more for dogs.

This is what I did for the same reason. Figured they do a large volume which usually means they are pretty good. They charge less for spay than neuter since females produce more. I was very please with they procedures and they were available 24/7 if there was a problem.

 

[Dantes]

But think about it, humans illicitly get hold of ketamine and take it as a party drug because of the hallucinatory effects of it...special K... so no wonder a cat can be out of it when given it. Hope your kitty feels better now!

Makes total sense...he does seem to be on the "slender" side (not skinny though, I don't think). Today he seems much more normal. For him, that is hehe

 

[Patty]

I always use the local spay/neuter clinic to have my animals fixed. Since I do early spay/neuter, they are well versed in it.