The neuroactive steroid alfaxalone (3-α-hydroxy-5-α-pregnane-11,20-dione) has been
used for anaesthesia with no complications in a variety of reptiles (
Scheelings et al., 2011
;
Knotek, 2014
;
Perrin and Bertelsen, 2017
). In snakes, alfaxalone (3.7 mg kg–1) administered subcutaneously (SC) was successful in sedating a giant python allowing
a second dose to be administered intravenously (IV) (
Freitag et al., 2022
). Alfaxalone administered IV has also been used to induce general anaesthesia in
a perentie monitor, which is the only published report of its use in a reptile belonging
to the genus Varanus (
Hoffman et al., 2017
). To date, the use of alfaxalone as an anaesthetic agent has not been reported in
the Komodo dragon.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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References
- Alfaxalone for anesthesia of a giant snake.Vet Anaesth Analg. 2022; 49: 147-148
- A central role for venom in predation by Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon) and the extinct giant Varanus (Megalania) priscus.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009; 106: 8969-8974
- Pneumocoelom causing cloacal prolapse in a perentie monitor (Varanus giganteus).Aust Vet Pract. 2017; 47: 117-120
- Alfaxalone as an induction agent for anaesthesia in terrapins and tortoises.Vet Rec. 2014; 175: 327
- The cardiovascular dose-response effects of isoflurane alone and combined with butorphanol in the green iguana (Iguana iguana).Vet Anaesth Analg. 2004; 31: 64-72
- Intravenous alfaxalone and propofol anesthesia in the bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps).Herpetol Med Surg. 2017; 27: 123-126
- Preliminary investigation into the chemical restraint with alfaxalone of selected Australian squamate species.J Herpetol Med Surg. 2011; 21: 63-77
Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 20, 2022
Accepted:
June 13,
2022
Received:
January 17,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
