General principles of anesthesia and sedation in food animals.

Minimal-risk anesthesia practice demands that fundamental physiologic and pharmacologic principles be applied to the specific medical and surgical needs of individual patients. In developing an anesthesia plan for a patient, health status must be assessed and considered along with other extrinsic factors such as the physical setting in which the anesthetic procedure will be performed, the availability of equipment and supplies, and the academic and technical training and abilities of participating personnel. This article reviews considerations for developing anesthesia protocols for ruminant and swine species.