SEVOFLURANE ANESTHESIA IN JUVENILE GREEN ANACONDAS (EUNECTES MURINUS): EFFICACY AND EFFECTS ON BLOOD GAS AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and physiologic effects of sevoflurane anesthesia, induced with a face mask under manual restraint and maintained with intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) at 1 bpm, in captive juvenile green anacondas (Eunectes murinus). Anesthetic depth parameters were recorded from induction to recovery. Venous blood gas analysis, along with two-dimensional echocardiography were performed under manual restraint prior to induction and during anesthesia. Sevoflurane provided effective and consistent anesthesia, with rapid induction (3.6 ± 0.9 min time to intubation), recovery (8.6 ± 5.2 min to extubation), and minimal effects on spontaneous ventilation, but resulted in a significant decrease in venous base excess (P < 0.001), bicarbonate (P = 0.02), as well as HR (P < 0.001), and pulmonary trunk maximum velocity (P < 0.001). Venous blood gas analysis indicated an anesthesia-related respiratory acidosis with a metabolic component, and echocardiography effectively demonstrated anesthesia-induced changes in the cardiovascular function of the snakes, consistent with a decreased cardiac output and blood pressure. Minimizing handling and adjusting the IPPV at a rate ≥1 bpm appears clinically warranted and may help address restraint-related metabolic acidosis, anesthesia-related respiratory acidosis, and probable hypotension in this species.