Local blocks to prevent pain in spay and neuter proceduresSeptember 30, 2021The relationship between fear and pain is an emerging area of interest in veterinary medicine.
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VPN Plus+ ExclusiveVideo series: Pain blocks for neuter proceduresSeptember 30, 2021In the October issue of Veterinary Practice News, Michael Petty, DVM, addressed how local blocks can be used to prevent pain in spay and neuter procedures. You can read the full article here. He also shared three videos to demonstrate his technique. They, along with some related text from the article for each video, appear below. The procedure: orchidectomy In either a dog or cat, the method is the same. After an alcohol prep, the testicle is firmly grasped with the non-syringe hand, and the needle is inserted into the caudal pole of the testicle and advanced just shy of the cranial pole. While maintaining a firm grasp, aspirate to make sure you are not in a blood vessel, then start to inject just until you feel the slightest pressure under your fingers. Video 1: Testicular block — feline. For a cat, this will take perhaps ¼ cc of lidocaine per testicle. Withdraw the needle and repeat with the other testicle. Video 2: Testicular block — canine. In dogs, you can also use the same needle to do a line block over your intended incision area. For a large dog, up to 1 cc of lidocaine per testicle might be …
