Propomitor vet.

Intravenous use.

The veterinary medicinal product is a sterile product for intravenous use. Shake gently prior to use.

Dose requirements can vary significantly between individual animals and are influenced by a range of factors (please refer to section 4.5 Special precautions for use in animals, and section 4.8 Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction). In particular, the use of pre-anaesthetic drugs (premedication) may markedly reduce propofol requirements dependent on the type and dose of preanaesthetic drugs used.

The dose to be administered should be estimated based on average dose requirements in preparation for anaesthesia. The actual dose requirements of an individual animal may be significantly lower or higher than the average dose.

Induction

The induction dose of the veterinary medicinal product presented in the table below is based on data taken from controlled laboratory and field studies and is the average amount of drug required for dogs or cats to be successfully induced for anaesthesia. The actual dose administered must be based on the individual response of each animal.

* Induction doses significantly below the average dose may be effective after premedication with an alpha-2 adrenoceptor based protocol in some animals.

When propofol is used in combination with e.g. ketamine, fentanyl or benzodiazepines for induction of anaesthesia (so called co-induction), the total dose of propofol can be further reduced.

The dosing syringe should be prepared based on the dose volume of veterinary medicinal product shown above, calculated based on bodyweight. The dose should be administered slowly to limit incidence and duration of apnoea and administration should continue until the clinician is satisfied that the depth of anaesthesia is sufficient for endotracheal intubation or the planned procedure. As a guide the veterinary medicinal product should be administered over a period of 20–60 seconds.

Maintenance

Repeat bolus injections

Where anaesthesia is maintained by incremental injections of the veterinary medicinal product, the dose rate and duration of effect will vary between animals. The incremental dose required to maintain anaesthesia is typically lower in premedicated animals compared with unpremedicated animals.

An incremental dose of approximately 1 mg/kg (0.1 ml/kg) in dogs and 2 mg/kg (0.2 ml/kg) in cats can be administered when anaesthesia becomes too light. This dose can be repeated as required to maintain an appropriate depth of anaesthesia, allowing 20–30 seconds between each dose to assess the effect. Each incremental dose should be administered slowly to effect.

Constant rate infusion

When anaesthesia is maintained by a constant rate infusion (CRI) of propofol, the dose is 0.2–0.4 mg/kg/min in dogs. The actual dose administered must be based on the individual response of each animal and may be increased up to 0.6 mg/kg/min for short periods. In cats, the maintenance dose is 0.1–0.3 mg/kg/min, and should be adapted to the individual response. CRI anaesthesia lasting up to 2 hours with the dose 0.4 mg/kg/min in dogs and 0.2 mg/kg/min in cats has been reported to be well tolerated. In addition, infusion rate may be increased or decreased by 0.025– 0.1 mg/kg/min increments in dogs, or 0.01–0.025 mg/kg/min in cats at 5–10 min intervals to adapt the anaesthetic plane.

Continuous and prolonged exposure (greater than 30 minutes) may lead to slower recovery, especially in cats.

Maintenance of anaesthesia by inhalation agents

Where inhalation agents are used to maintain general anaesthesia, it may be necessary to use a higher initial concentration of the inhalation anaesthetic than is normally the case following induction with barbiturate agents.

Please refer also to section 4.5 Special precaution for use in animals.