Challenges of the anaesthetic management of a Dobermann with first‐time diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation undergoing emergency enterotomy for foreign body removal

Abstract A 4‐year‐old Dobermann was presented at our institution with an obstructive intestinal foreign body requiring urgent abdominal surgery; preoperatively, a cardiomyopathy with dilated phenotype and concomitant atrial fibrillation were diagnosed. The dog was premedicated with methadone (0.3 mg/kg intramuscularly). A combination of lidocaine (1 mg/kg) and midazolam (0.3 mg/kg) was administered intravenously, which provided adequate conditions for a smooth endotracheal intubation. Anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in 100% oxygen; analgesia was provided with constant rate infusions of lidocaine (30 µg/kg/min) and ketamine (10 µg/kg/min). Recovery was prolonged but uneventful. This case report describes the anaesthetic management of a Dobermann with dilated cardiomyopathy and concomitant atrial fibrillation undergoing emergency enterotomy, highlighting the key aspects of the disease relevant to the anaesthetist.