Effects of Pre-Anesthesia Anxiety on Propofol Induction Dose in Cats

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In humans, the anxiety felt by patients before anesthesia reportedly increases the anesthetic requirements for anesthesia induction. Relieving the patient’s anxiety before anesthesia is necessary to prevent the excessive administration of anesthetic. However, no studies have been conducted on the effects of anxiety on anesthesia induction in cats. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of the anxiety healthy cats felt before anesthesia on the propofol dose required for inducing anesthesia. We observed that significant behavioral changes due to anxiety did not increase the propofol dose requirements in the cats compared to those who experienced no anxiety. Furthermore, there was no difference in the maintenance and recovery from anesthesia between the two aforementioned conditions. In conclusion, anxiety due to changing circumstances did not change the propofol dose required for anesthesia induction in cats, despite significant changes in their behavior. ABSTRACT: In humans, peri-anesthesia anxiety reportedly increases the anesthetic requirements for anesthesia induction. However, no studies have been conducted on cats regarding the effects of anxiety on anesthesia induction or anesthetic-mediated physiological changes. Therefore, we intended to investigate the effect of pre-anesthesia anxiety in healthy cats on the propofol dose required for anesthesia induction, and its impact on behavioral and physiological evaluations. The cats were placed in either a calm (CAL) or tense (ANX) environment. We performed physiological and behavioral evaluations before and after each environmental acclimatization period. Anesthesia was induced using propofol. We recorded the total dose of propofol administered for each clinical sign observed during anesthesia induction. The post-acclimatization behavioral evaluation score was significantly higher in the ANX group than the pre-acclimatization score. However, there was no significant difference in the propofol dose required for each clinical sign in the ANX or CAL groups. There were also no significant differences in the physiological evaluations between the ANX and CAL groups. Therefore, pre-anesthesia anxiety felt by cats did not affect propofol-mediated anesthesia induction.