Other potentially useful new injectable anesthetic agents.

Ultrashort barbiturates are not ideal injectable anesthetic agents, and new agents continue to be released as investigators pursue the goal of finding a more ideal agent. Of the new injectable agents discussed, propofol seems to be the most promising drug. Propofol should find a place in veterinary practice as an outpatient anesthetic agent because it has a rapid, smooth, and complete recovery even after repeated or continuous administration. Midazolam does not induce anesthesia in healthy, small animals and, as such, can only be used in combination with other injectable agents, such as ketamine or the thiobarbiturates. In our practice, Telazol has found a place in the anesthetic management of feral cats and aggressive dogs, where it is used for heavy sedation or to induce anesthesia. The role of flumazenil, as a reversal agent, in veterinary practice remains to be determined; however, the role in small domestic animals is unlikely to be significant.