A review of the general pharmacology of ketamine and its clinical use for injectable anaesthesia in horses

Ketamine is the most commonly used injectable anaesthetic in horses. Combinations of ketamine have been used to produce short durations of anaesthesia or as total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) for longer diagnostic or surgical procedures. In recent years, ketamine has been used for pain management due to its effectiveness in producing analgesia at subanaesthetic doses. This paper provides a review of the pharmacological effects of ketamine in general and its clinical use for injectable anaesthesia and pain management in horses.