Small ruminant tips for the practitioner

field anesthesia techniques

Abstract

Restraint, local or spinal anesthesia, and short-acting general anesthesia are commonly employed procedures in small ruminant field practice. Correct application of these procedures can greatly facilitate the completion of other common procedures such as debridement of infected wounds of the foot, paring out of hoof lesions, obstetrical procedures, and placement of casts or splints for orthopedic problems. Presented here are different methods for restraint, sedation, and local, spinal, and general anesthesia that the author has used successfully in a field setting.