Safer sedation for better outcomes
Sedation allows for less stressful handling, positioning, and diagnostic collection for both the patient and veterinary staff. Radiographs, biopsies, IV catheter placement, and potentially even physical exams, nail trimming, ear cleaning and other maintenance procedures can be achieved with more accuracy and safety—and believe it or not—more quickly with appropriate sedation. No one drug possesses every desired quality (reliable sedation, good analgesia, reversibility, minimal side effects) so it is necessary to have a good understanding of many options and combinations so you can choose the right fit for the right situation. A sedation protocol should consider patient personality, comorbidities, procedure, and preferred recovery time. The specific drugs and amounts used will depend on several factors. The anesthetist creating the plan will have to evaluate the temperament of the patient, the type of procedure being performed, and the co-existing conditions or contraindications each patient may have.
This session originally was presented at AVMA Convention 2026.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Discover why procedure sedation may be in the best interest of the patient and gain diagnostic information.
- Identify what sedations are available.
- Differentiate the sedation combinations to use in various situations.
| Katrina Lafferty graduated from DePaul University in Chicago, IL with her BFA in Theatre. She realized she had missed the mark in career choices and returned to school to graduate with her degree in Veterinary Technology. She went on to earn her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Anesthesia and Analgesia and her registered lab animal technician certification. Katrina worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a full-time basis from 2005 until 2024, largely in the Anesthesia and Pain Management Department at the school of veterinary medicine. She spent nearly 5 years of that time at the University of Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. In January 2024 she started working part-time at the amazing Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, WI. In December 2024 she decided to move to a full-time position at the zoo, while still working part-time at the UW Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Katrina is passionate about all aspects of teaching and is extremely involved in the education of the veterinary community. She has written numerous articles and book chapters and has presented extensively at national and international continuing education conferences. Katrina love, love, LOVES anesthesia. You name it, she has probably anesthetized it. This includes a 2-day old calf, a 60-year-old tortoise, lemurs, river otters, orangutans, and so many other great species. |
