Anaesthesia & Analgesia for Veterinarians: 2.0

Pain management in clinical practice can be both challenging and rewarding. As veterinarians, we have a professional and ethical duty to protect our patients from pain. This module describes how you can make informed analgesia choices for your patients using medications found in most general practices.

Module 2 – Constant rate infusions

The constant rate infusion (CRI) may be used to deliver combinations of sedatives, analgesics and induction drugs to veterinary patients during the perianaesthetic period. This module is a great one to extend your pain management approach past the once-size-fits-all recipe, emphasising that pain management should be multi-modal and balanced. Preemptive pain control is even more important.

Module 3 – Paediatrics

During anaesthesia, our goal is to safely guide the neonate or paediatric patient through the immediate procedure and simultaneously protect their long-term health. This module describes how the very young patient differs to their mature counterparts, and how to make informed choices with the long game in mind.

Module 4 – Monitoring

There is irrefutable evidence that outcomes are improved and life is preserved when we use appropriate monitoring equipment, personnel and anaesthetic recording. This module describes the use and interpretation of a range of monitoring equipment, and acknowledges that it is possible to monitor and manage anaesthetised patients without specialised equipment. Aim high and achieve best practice wherever possible. We owe it to our patients and their owners.

Module 5 – Brachycephalic anaesthesia

According to the Australian Kennel Club, the French bulldog was the 3rd-most popular dog in Australia during 2019. This trend is reflected elsewhere, and we must be prepared to treat these dogs in routine practice. It is our duty to be well informed about brachycephalic anatomy and the principles of best practice when we have to sedate, anaesthetise and recover these breeds. In this module, we present specific brachycephalic considerations and risk reduction strategies for use in general practice.

Module 6 – Feline anaesthesia

“Cats are not small dogs.” How many times have you heard that phrase? It’s true that to achieve the best consistent anaesthesia and pain management outcomes for feline patients, you must employ appropriate handling and have an understanding of their unique anatomy and physiology. This module considers feline anaesthesia and pain management in the context of cat-specific outcomes and their unique risk factors.

Module 7 – Geriatric anaesthesia

Geriatric dogs and cats are at a higher risk for complications compared with younger animals. The good news is that the risk of complications can be minimised, providing age-related changes in physiology and underlying disease processes are understood. Unfortunately, there is no “ideal” anaesthetic or analgesic plan for all geriatric animals. Instead, this module highlights the physiological pitfalls of the geriatric patient, and offers solutions towards the safe approach to geriatric anaesthesia.