Practical Local Anaesthesia: One-Day Fast-Track

In this one-day course we’ll take a focused, practical approach to the use of local anaesthetic techniques in small animal practice and how they can be effectively applied in day-to-day clinical practice by both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.

With comprehensive online pre-learning videos tailored separately for vets and vet nurses, you’ll be able to familiarise yourself with the theory behind local anaesthetic drugs, nerve block techniques, and their clinical applications. The in-person day will then be spent primarily in cadaver-based practical sessions, giving you the opportunity to build confidence and competence in a wide range of techniques.

You’ll gain hands-on experience with commonly used peripheral nerve blocks in the limbs and head, learn how to perform lumbosacral epidurals, and explore additional local anaesthesia techniques relevant to both medical and surgical cases, with the practical content reflecting each profession's responsibilities and scope of practice.

Topics to be covered include:

• Peripheral nerve blocks for orthopaedic, soft tissue, and dental procedures
• Lumbosacral epidural nerve blocks – technique and indications
• Pharmacology of local anaesthetic drugs – including complications and contraindications
• Use of ultrasound and electro nerve locator for block placement
• Additional local anaesthesia techniques – wound catheters, chest drains, topical and intravenous regional anaesthesia
• Case-based discussions – clinical decision-making and practical problem-solving

Please note: This is a cadaver-based course