Anaesthesia

In the Estonian University of Life Sciences equine clinic, we have a team of veterinarians providing anesthesia service for equine patients undergoing general anesthesia and sedation for a variety of diagnostic and surgical procedures. Each horse gets an anaesthesia protocol prepared depending on their character and the procedure being performed. Currently the anaesthesia team consists of dr. Janne Ööpik-Koorits, dr. Reet Herm and dr. Christos Kalyvas.

 

General anaesthesia

During surgeries sophisticated monitoring equipment, anesthesia machines equipped with controlled mechanical ventilation capability and safest medications are used to minimize the anesthesia risks. The hospital is also equipped with a padded recovery box to reduce the risks associated with the recovery process.

 

Sedation

For a lot of procedures standing sedation with a local anaesthesia is sufficient to provide enough restraint and analgesia for the patient. It is safer for the patient and if possible, is always preferred to the general anaesthesia. For example, sedation is used for the oral examination, x-ray examinations, and surgeries.

 

Pain management

Pain is monitored and management plan is made accordingly for each patient going through a surgical procedure or being admitted to the clinic with a painful condition. Adequate pain management is important for horse’s well-being and to avoid any further complications that can arise from a long-term untreated pain. Pain can be managed with different type of medications and adjunct therapies (cold therapy, physiotherapy, laser treatments).