Local Anesthesia 

What is Local Anesthesia

Local anesthesia is a one time injection that numbs that area of the body.  Lidocaine or bupivacaine are the local medications most commonly used.  They have a very fast onset of 10-15 min, the area will have loss of sensation and last for 1-2hrs giving your pet pain relief after the procedure.   We often give a sedative with a local anesthestic so your pet is calm and comfortable.

Procedures done under local anesthesia 

Any procedure that can be done quickly the vet will generally choose a local.  This way your pet will have a speedy recovery and can get back to their family.  ​

• Skin Biopsy or scrapings
• Small lump removals 
• Wounds that need to be cleaned of stitched up 

Epidurals and Nerve Blocks

Locals like epidurals and nerve blocks can be used in conjunction with General Anesthesia to decrease the amount of anesthetic gas needed and provide post operative pain relief .  An Epidural is an injection that is given in the Epidural space of the spine; mostly used for orthopedic surgery. 
A nerve block is an injection at root of the nerve, often used in dentals to offer long pain relief.  Both of these local techniques offer significant post op pain relief for 10-24hrs after the procedure is done.  The vet may choose to use either of these locals depending on the procedure being performed and preemptive evaluation of pain expected post op.

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If you have any questions or concerns about local or general anesthesia our team is always here to help. 
​Just give us a call or email us