Anaesthesia
The animals were premedicated with
atropine 0.5 mg i.m. and medetomidine
(Domitors, AUV, Cuijk, The Netherlands)
25 mg/kg i.m., and anaesthesia was induced with pentobarbital (Nembutals, AUV,
Cuijk, The Netherlands) 10–20 mg/kg i.v.,
and the animals were subsequently
intubated. The goats were ventilated and
maintained with isoflurane in a mixture
of O2 (30%) and N2O (70%). End tidal
isoflurane was maintained between 1.5%
and 2%, and end tidal carbon dioxide,
between 4 and 5%. During the installation
of the tracheostoma, anaesthesia was
continued by intravenous propofol infusion,
i.e. a 2 mg/kg bolus and 8 mg/kg/h for
maintenance i.v. During surgery, flunixine
(Finadynes AUV Veterinarians, Cuijk, The
Netherlands, 50 mg/mL, 1 /day 1–2 mL/
50 kg body weight, i.m.) was administered
for analgesia.