Surgical decompression of a paraspinal abscess in a 4‐month‐old lamb—Providing perioperative anaesthesia and analgesia within the remits of UK legislation for food‐producing animals

This report describes the perioperative anaesthesia and analgesia management of a 4-month-old lamb undergoing surgical decompression of a paraspinal abscess while adhering to the drug-prescribing cascade. This is a legal requirement covered under UK prescribing regulations. Premedication with 2 mu g/kg detomidine and 0.1 mg/kg butorphanol preceded induction with 6 mg/kg ketamine administered to effect. General anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in 100% oxygen, 1 mu g/kg/h detomidine and 10 mu g/kg/min ketamine. Additional analgesia was provided with 10 mg/kg paracetamol, 0.5 mg/kg meloxicam and infiltration of 10 mg lidocaine. Postoperative analgesia was achieved with ketamine 5 mu g/kg/min IV, butorphanol 0.1 mg/kg IV q6h, 0.5 mg/kg meloxicam IV q24h and 10 mg/kg paracetamol IV q8h. A withdrawal period of 28 days for meat/offal and 15 days for milk was recommended. Neurological improvement was observed, and the lamb was discharged at 7 days.