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Anaesthesia & Analgesia

Pain management for pets

The anaesthesia and analgesia team at Pride Veterinary Referrals is responsible for the sedation, anaesthesia and recovery of all patients admitted to the hospital. The anaesthetists are present during every procedure and ensure that patient post-operative pain is managed correctly whilst in hospital. The team is involved with all services at Pride Veterinary Referrals, from major surgeries to sedation for medical investigations and diagnostic imaging.

The anaesthetists are always present throughout the journey of a patient and work alongside clinicians and veterinary nurses to ensure that procedures, both simple and complex, are carried out safely for both patients and staff.

Meet the Team

The anaesthesia and analgesia service at Pride Veterinary Referrals is led by anaesthetists, trained under the guidelines of the European or American Colleges of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (ECVAA or ACVAA), the highest level of specialisation. Dedicated anaesthesia interns and a team of highly experienced nurses support the service under direct supervision, including after hours and weekends.

Sayaka Okushima - Head of Service – Anaesthesia & Analgesia

Sayaka Okushima

Sayaka Okushima BVetMed BSc DipECVAA MRCVS Head of Service – Anaesthesia & Analgesia
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Ana Del Alamo Foster - American Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia

Ana Del Alamo Foster

Ana Del Alamo Foster MS DipACVAA MRCVS American Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia
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Chris Seymour - EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia

Chris Seymour

Chris Seymour MA VetMB DVA DipECVAA PGCert(MedEd) FHEA MRCVS EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia
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Sanne Melis - Anaesthesia & Analgesia

Sanne Melis

Sanne Melis MVM DipECVAA MRCVS Anaesthesia & Analgesia
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Hayley Ronaldson

Hayley Ronaldson

Hayley Ronaldson BSc(Hons) BVetMed MVetMed MRCVS
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Rita Mocci

Rita Mocci

Rita Mocci DVM MRCVS
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The team use an extensive range of monitoring equipment, medications, and facilities for the delivery of safe anaesthesia. All anaesthetic stations are equipped with multi-parameter monitors, and patients are always monitored one-to-one during their anaesthetic procedure. This in-depth monitoring begins the moment the patient receives any sedative drugs and ends when they are awake and returned comfortably to the ward after their procedure. The specific needs of the patient will be communicated clearly to the wards team before the patient is transferred to their care.

Our Promise

The team understand that pet owners are often concerned about the risks of general anaesthesia and the side effects of sedative drugs. In addition, they also understand how worrying it can be for both owners and their pets to attend hospital, particularly if they are in pain.  It is their duty to earn the trust of the pet owner by answering their questions, easing their fears, and providing their pet with the best standard of care.

Pain Management

Pain management is an integral part of the team’s daily work. Each patient that undergoes a surgical procedure, even if it is considered a small procedure, will have their pain levels evaluated against pain scoring systems validated worldwide for dogs and cats. These aid the team in the recognition of acute pain and guide pain management for all patients. 

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is as important for us as acute pain. This is why we have a pain clinic available, led and run by Sanne Melis MVM DipECVAA MRCVS Anaesthesia & Analgesia, European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. Sanne provides consultations specifically to discuss and manage chronic pain and offers treatment options such as acupuncture and lifestyle adaptations in addition to conventional medical management. As physiotherapy and hydrotherapy are frequently very beneficial to patients with chronic pain, Sanne works closely with in-house physiotherapists to produce the best possible treatment plan for each patient. 

Anaesthesia and Analgesia Facilities

Our facilities and state-of-the-art equipment help the team to carry out anaesthesia during difficult surgeries and complicated cases in intensive care.

Every anaesthesia station at Pride Veterinary Referrals is equipped with an anaesthesia machine and a multi-parametric monitor. This also includes the MRI and CT suites.

Equipment used daily by the anaesthesia service include:

  • Mechanical ventilators capable of providing PEEP and assisted ventilation
  • Doppler ultrasound devices
  • Syringe and fluid pumps
  • HotDog warming machines
  • Nerve stimulator-locator (nerve electrolocation locoregional block and neuromuscular blockade monitoring)
  • Multi-parameter monitors at all anaesthesia stations
  • Warming devices at all stations (instead of ‘HotDog’ bullet point)
  • Arterial blood gas analysers
  • Direct blood pressure monitors: arterial, central venous and portal pressures
  • Neuromuscular function monitors (TOF monitoring)

For further information or if you wish to discuss a case, please email referrals@prideveterinarycentre.co.uk or call 01332 548911.

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