Narketan (Canada)

Company: Vetoquinol

KETAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE INJECTION, MFR. STD

VETERINARY USE ONLY

Sterile

Anaesthetic for use in cats only

DIN 02374994

Description

Narketan is a rapid acting, non-barbiturate, general anaesthetic for cats. It contains 115 mg/mL ketamine hydrochloride (2-(o-chlorophenyl)-2-methylamino-cyclohexanone hydrochloride) providing the equivalent of 100 mg/mL ketamine base. Narketan is supplied as a slightly acidic (pH 4.5-5.1) solution for intramuscular injection and contains 0.1 mg/mL benzethonium chloride as preservative.

Non-medicinal ingredients: Sodium hydroxide, disodium edetate and water for injection.

Narketan Indications

Narketan may be used as a sole anaesthetic agent for restraint and for minor surgical procedures where muscle relaxation is not required in the domestic cat.

Note: Additional analgesia should be provided as needed.

Dosage and Administration

Narketan is administered by intramuscular injection.

Withholding food for at least 6 hours prior to induction of anaesthesia by Narketan is recommended when preparing for elective surgery.

Dosage:

11-33 mg/kg body weight depending on the degree of restraint or the type of minor surgical procedure that is intended. The following dosages are indicated as a guide but may need to be adjusted depending on the physical condition or the patient and the use of sedative and premedicants.

Contraindications

The use of Narketan is not indicated for use in kittens under 12 weeks of age as it is not unusual in immature cats for anaesthesia to be of shorter duration. Ketamine hydrochloride is contraindicated for procedures in cats requiring complete skeletal muscle relaxation.

CAUTIONS: For use in cats only. Because the drug is metabolized in the liver and excreted in the urine, although in cats largely unchanged, caution should be exercised in dosing subjects with hepatic or renal impairment. Caution should also be exercised in administering the drug to animals with cardiovascular abnormalities due to its hypertensive effect in cats. Safe use during pregnancy has not been established.

Induction and recovery should occur in quiet and calm surroundings. Use of premedicants should be followed by a suitable reduction in ketamine dosage. Eyes remain open and the pupils dilated; they should be protected by bland ophthalmic ointment or covered with a damp gauze swab.

Warnings

Keep out of reach of children.

Adverse Reactions

At high dosage, respiratory depression may occur. If at any time cyanosis occurs, or if respiration becomes excessively depressed, resuscitative measures should be instituted promptly, e.g. artificial respiration, oxygen administration, etc. May cause salivation in cats; atropine premedication may reduce this effect. Muscular twitching and mild tonic convulsions have occurred in the cat at recommended dose rates; these may subside spontaneously but may be prevented by acepromazine or controlled by use of acepromazine or ultra short acting barbiturates in low doses. Use of intramuscular route may be associated with pain. Adverse reactions reported have included emesis, salivation, vocalization, erratic recovery and prolonged recovery, spastic jerking movements, convulsions, muscular tremors, hypertonicity, opisthotonos, dyspnea and cardiac arrest.

Clinical Pharmacology

Narketan is a rapid acting anaesthetic producing an anaesthetic state characterized by profound analgesia, normal pharyngeal-laryngeal reflexes and skeletal muscle tone, mild cardiac stimulation and some respiratory depression. The anaesthetic state produced by ketamine has been termed “dissociative anaesthesia” in that it appears to selectively interrupt association of the brain before producing somesthetic sensory blockade.

Following administration of the recommended doses of Narketan, blood pressure and heart rate are usually moderately and transiently increased. Respiratory rate, on the other hand, is usually decreased in cats. The pharyngeal reflexes are maintained thus aiding in the maintenance of a patent airway. Although some salivation is occasionally noted, the persistence of the swallowing reflex effectively reduces the hazards of salivation.

Other reflexes, e.g. corneal, pedal, etc., are maintained under Narketan anaesthesia, and should not be used as criteria for depth of anaesthesia. Moreover, the eyes normally remain open with the pupil dilated, making it prudent to apply a bland ointment if anaesthesia is to be prolonged. By single intramuscular injection in cats, Narketan has a wide margin of safety.

Following administration of recommended doses of Narketan, most cats become ataxic in about 5 minutes, and anaesthesia will normally last 30-45 minutes. Recovery is generally smooth and uneventful, especially if animals are not stimulated by sound or handling during recovery period. At the lower doses, complete recovery usually occurs in 4-5 hours but with higher levels of Narketan, recovery time is more prolonged and less predictable. With high levels, complete recovery may take 24 hours or more in some selected cases, especially if the patient is in poor condition or suffering from nephritis.

STORAGE CONDITIONS: Store between 15°C and 25°C. Protect from light. Stability demonstrated for 28 days after opening.

NOTE: Colour of solution may vary from colourless to very slight yellowish and may darken upon prolonged exposure to light. This darkening does not affect the potency. Do not use if precipitate appears.

Vetoquinol N.-A. Inc., 2000 ch. Georges, Lavaltrie, QC, Canada, J5T 3S5

0923 C

CPN: 1234407.2