HALOTHANE ANESTHESIA IN CALVES

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 40  (3) , 372-376
Abstract
Because of the calf''s popularity as an experimental animal and its often noted sensitivity to anesthetics and anesthesia, the potency of halothane was studied in 8, young (.hivin.x [mean] = 5.85 wk), healthy, male Holstein-Friesian calves. The minimal alveolar halothane-O2 concentration (MAC) which just prevented calf movement in response to a tail clamp was 0.76 .+-. SEM [standard error of the mean] 0.03 vol% and is less than predictions based on studies in man. The addition of 50% N2O to inspired gases decreased the halothane MAC to 0.59 .+-. 0.03%. In the absence of common modifying factors of anesthesia, halothane-O2 caused cardiopulmonary depression in these calves in proportion to anesthetic dose. Only 2 (total protein and albumin) of 17 selected blood clinical biochemical values were significantly (P < 0.05) altered from base line within 7 days of anesthesia, indicating insults to major systems did not occur.