Overview:
Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic that is widely used in veterinary medicine due to its rapid onset of action, safety profile and broad spectrum of applications, and has become a cornerstone of veterinary anaesthesia. It is primarily used as an induction agent for general anaesthesia, often in combination with sedatives or muscle relaxants to enhance analgesia and minimise side effects. Beyond anaesthesia, ketamine is valued for its analgesic properties, particularly in the treatment of acute and chronic pain, as well as for some interesting applications that we will present in this lecture.