Chemical restraint and injectable anesthesia of ruminants.

The ketamine stun technique provides enhanced patient cooperation when compared with more traditional injectable chemical restraint cocktails. Depending on the dose and route of administration, the ketamine stun also provides a variable degree of systemic analgesia. The ketamine stun technique has been shown to reduce the stress response to castration and dehorning in calves. Anesthesia should be considered for procedures requiring an extended period of immobility or a high level of systemic analgesia. Constant rate infusion techniques, such as double drip or ruminant triple drip, provide a more stable plane of injectable anesthesia than bolus administration techniques.