Long gone are the basic one-size-fits-all anesthetic protocols; recent additions to the exotic mammal literature and advances in traditional pet anesthesia give the exotic practitioner a wide array of choices and the ability to fine tune protocols for species, overall patient health, and type of surgical procedure. Recent AAHA guidelines for planning the "anesthetic event" help guide practitioners as well, all with the goal of mitigating risk and improving survival. This masterclass will discuss preparation for anesthesia, drug selection, (including analgesia), handling the anesthetic crisis and improving post-anesthetic survival.