Anaesthetic management of a cat with diabetes mellitus undergoing glucagonoma excision

Abstract

An 11‐year‐old, 3.3 kg, male neutered, domestic longhair cat with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus was referred for surgical excision of a glucagonoma – a pancreatic tumour that produces an excessive amount of glucagon. Methadone was administered intravenously, and anaesthesia was induced intravenously with alfaxalone and maintained with sevoflurane in 100% oxygen. An extradural catheter was placed at the lumbo‐sacral site and its tip was advanced approximately to the second lumbar vertebrae. Preservative‐free buprenorphine and 0.5% levobupivacaine were administered. Intraoperatively, haemodynamic changes were monitored using a non‐invasive cardiac output monitor. During anaesthesia, hyperglycaemia and hypotension were the two main complications recorded. Postoperative analgesia was provided administering 0.25% levobupivacaine extradurally every 4 hours for the first 24 hours. The blood glucose concentration decreased postoperatively, and insulin administration was restarted 7 hours after surgery when the cat started eating voluntarily. No other complications occurred, and the cat was discharged from the hospital 72 hours after the surgery.