Our anesthesia specialists at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center’s Equine Hospital provide specialized procedures for equine patients undergoing general anesthesia for a variety of diagnostic and surgical procedures. Pain management of horses is a significant component of our service, and we use a variety of techniques, including medications, local and regional blocks, and acupuncture, to alleviate pain.
The anesthesia and pain management team is composed of board-certified specialists with the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA), anesthesia residents (veterinarians training to specialize in anesthesia and pain management), and licensed veterinary technicians who work together, with other clinicians, and with clients to control acute and chronic pain in horses.
The team’s expertise, sophisticated monitoring equipment, anesthesia machines equipped with assisted-ventilation capability, and the safest anesthetic medications minimize risks associated with general anesthesia in horses. To minimize injuries associated with recovery from anesthesia, we continuously monitor horses during the recovery process, which takes place in a padded recovery room. Rope or sling-assisted recoveries are also used to further improve the quality of recovery in some animals.
