Mustangs
Miniature horses are, of course, small. This means the veterinarian needs to not only calculate smaller doses of anesthesia but also make equipment modifications, such as using smaller syringes and needles. | Photo: iStock
Veterinarians follow a routine process when anesthetizing horses for surgical procedures. When it comes to putting equids such as mules and Miniature Horses under general anesthesia, however, they must factor in those animals’ physical and behavioral differences.

At the 2018 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in San Francisco, California, Nora Matthews, DVM, Dipl. ACVAA, a professor at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, in College Station, described these differences and how they can affect anesthesia.

Miniature Horses

“Obviously, they are small … very small,” said Matthews.

This means the veterinarian needs to not only calculate smaller doses of anesthesia but also make equipment modifications, such as using smaller syringes and needles

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