* Covers the basics of feline anesthesia, analgesia, preoperative and postoperative care of the patient, orthopedic instrumentation and implants
* Contains detailed sections on investigation and diagnosis of feline orthopedic diseases and injuries, with specific chapters on diseases of the footpads and nails, tumors of the musculoskeletal system, and polytrauma
* Surgical techniques of feline orthopedic diseases and injuries are explained step-by-step with many schematic illustrations
* Presents both classical treatments using cost-effective implants and new osteosynthesis techniques using modern implants
* Over 20 new and original surgical methods are included.
This, the first edition of the text Feline Orthopedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Disease is a work long overdue. The nuances of feline anatomy, physiology, and behavior in conjunction with the cat’s unique responses to disease, surgery, and medications deserve special attention. The aforementioned distinctive characteristics create special challenges when designing and implementing adequate and effective anesthesia and analgesia protocols for cats. Compared to dogs, for example, cats are more easily stressed, oftentimes difficult to restrain, even for minor medical procedures (intravenous catheter placement), harder to intubate orotracheally, easily overdosed or overanesthetized, and more frequently found to be hypotensive and hypothermic. Their size and temperament alone predispose them to accidental drug-related side-effects.
The importance of vigilance, dosing accuracy, and familiarity with species differences in relationship to the anesthetic and analgesic drugs and techniques used in cats cannot be overemphasized. Recent data assessing anesthetic-related mortality suggest that approximately 1:400 (0.24%) anesthetized cats die and that age, weight, procedural urgency, endotracheal intubation, and fluid therapy increase risk. The mortality rate associated with anesthesia in cats is much greater than in dogs and argues for greater vigilance and improved methods for detection of deleterious changes in the cat’s physical status during anesthesia. Importantly, the routine use of monitoring devices including, but not limited to, an electrocardiogram, pulse oximeter, and indirect arterial blood pressure decrease anesthetic risk.
Most cats that have suffered an orthopedic injury are stressed, in pain, and dehydrated. Those that have incurred significant injuries secondary to trauma often sustain extensive soft-tissue damage, blood loss, and infection. Those that have experienced severe head or chest wall trauma in addition to appendicular injuries may exhibit signs of central nervous system (stupor, depression), respiratory (labored breathing), or cardiovascular (arrhythmias) problems.
The feline orthopedic surgical candidate presents special anesthetic risks, requires intense analgesic care and provides ample opportunity for the utilization of specialized monitoring equipment and techniques. Towards this end Dr. Kaestner has written two chapters devoted to the anesthetic and analgesic care of the feline orthopedic patient. These chapters provide detailed and clinically applicable information regarding the clinical pharmacology, monitoring, and analgesic care of cats. Figures, tables, and boxes provide key background information. Anesthetic techniques, monitoring equipment, and common anesthetic problems and their therapy are discussed. A comprehensive list of analgesic drugs, drug dosages and analgesic techniques including local and regional analgesia are described and illustrated. Dr. Kaestner has provided the necessary basic applied information required to produce safe and effective anesthesia and analgesia in cats.
William Muir DVM, PhD, ACVA, ACVECC