Tiletamine-Zolazepam, Ketamine, and Xylazine Anesthetic Protocol for High-Quality, High-Volume Spay and Neuter of Free-Roaming Cats in Seoul, Korea.

Simple Summary: Surgical anesthetic management during short-term procedures such as sterilization is highly relevant due to the hemodynamic, cardiorespiratory, and autonomic alterations that could be present. In the case of sterilization aimed at free-roaming cats, a drug combination to provide hypnosis, analgesia, and autonomic balance can reduce these anesthetic risks. Cat neutering through trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs is a non-lethal alternative for free-roaming cat population control. This study is an evaluation of anesthesia used in the high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter (HQHVSN) model of a TNR program for free-roaming cats in Seoul, Korea. A combination of tiletamine-zolazepam, ketamine, and xylazine (ZKX) was intramuscularly administered to obtain anesthesia. The evaluation was based on the records of 1261 cats with complete records of the injected volume of anesthetics and times, out of a total of 1361 cats. The study confirmed the safety and efficacy of the ZKX combination administered IM in a TNR program in the HQHVSN model and provided a range of appropriate doses. This will enable TNR programs to be more effective and contribute to a stable free-roaming cat population that can be successfully controlled for welfare. This study was performed to evaluate the anesthetic protocol used in the high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter (HQHVSN) of free-roaming cats in Seoul, Korea from 2017 to 2022. The evaluation was performed on a total of 1261 free-roaming cats, with an average weight of 3.48 ± 1.04 kg. The anesthetic combination tiletamine-zolazepam, ketamine, and xylazine (ZKX) was injected intramuscularly. The actual drug doses administered were tiletamine-zolazepam 5.52 ± 1.70 mg/kg, ketamine 8.94 ± 3.60 mg/kg, and xylazine 1.11 ± 0.34 mg/kg. Additional doses were required in 275 cats out of a total of 1261 (21.8%). Following anesthesia and surgery, 1257 cats (99.7%) were returned to their original locations. Four cats (0.3%) died postoperatively. The mean duration of anesthesia (from ZKX combination to yohimbine administration) was 26 ± 22 min for males and 55 ± 36 min for females, while the time from yohimbine administration to the recovery was 31 ± 22 min for males and 20 ± 17 min for females. The use of ZKX for HQHVSN of free-roaming cats is inexpensive, provides predictable results, can be administered quickly and easily in a small volume, and is associated with a low mortality rate during the first 72 h post-surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]