Anesthesia of pet birds

It is common for veterinarians who specialize in small animals and species to be presented with pet bird patients for procedures that require general anesthesia, including complete physical examination, venipuncture, diagnostic workup, or medical and surgical treatments. The basic principles of anesthetic management that govern mammalian anesthesia also apply to birds, although specific anatomic and physiological differences must be considered. The goal of this article is to present a clinically applicable approach to pet bird anesthesia, including preanesthetic considerations, physical restraint, induction agents, anesthetic maintenance, supportive measures, anesthetic recovery, and management of anesthetic complications. Copyright (C) 1998 by W. B. Saunders Company.