Developments in Veterinary Anesthesia

From the earliest adoption of human techniques, equipment and drugs into veterinary medicine, to the development of Alfaxan Multidose injectable anesthetic, veterinarians have worked to make surgical procedures safer, more effective and more pain-free.  Here is list developments throughout the history of veterinary medicine, many of which are in use today.

  • 1804

    Morphine

    first isolated

  • 1816

    First stethoscope

    Invented by Rene-Theophile-Hyacinthe Laennec

  • 1832

    First ventilator

    Negative pressure

  • 1842

    Diethyl ether

    First record of use

  • 1846

    Term 'anesthesia'

    Coined by Oliver Wendell Holmes – doctor, poet, writer 

  • 1848

    Chloroform

  • 1863

    AVMA

    Established

  • 1884

    Cocaine

    Used as a local anesthetic, adopted largly into medicine as 1880s

  • 1898

    First spinal anesthesia with cocaine

  • 1904

    Phenobarbital

    Synthesized

  • 1922

    Hydromorphone

  • 1928

    Iron lung

    First used on humans

  • 1930

    Sodium thiopental

    Discovered

  • 1933

    AAHA (American Animal Hospital Assoc)

    Founded

  • 1946

    Lidocaine

  • 1950

    Acepromazine

    First used in humans

  • 1951

    Halothane

    Synthesized

  • 1952

    Modern ventilator

    Positive pressure ventilator

  • 1960

    Diazepam

    Approved for use

  • 1962

    Xylazine

    Antihypertensive 

  • 1962

    Ketamine

    Discovered

  • 1964

    Etomidate

    Developed (US market 1983)

  • 1969

    Buprenorphine

    Developed

  • 1970

    American Society of Veterinary Anesthesiologists

  • 1975

    ACVA (American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists)

    Recognized by AVMA 

  • 1976

    Midazolam

    First came into use

  • 1977

    Propofol

    Discovered 

  • 1979

    Isoflurane

    Approved for medical use

  • 1980

    ACVAA (American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia)

    Full accreditation

  • 1990

    Sevoflurane

    First clinical use

  • 1999

    Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anesthesia and Analgesia

    Created

  • 1999

    Dexmedetomidine

    Approved by FDA 

  • 2000

    Alfaxan is released to the Australian Veterinary market

  • 2014

    Alfaxan is released to the United States of America Veterinary market

  • 2018

    Alfaxan Multidose released in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Canada and Europe