Local blocks and standing surgery in farm animals

Question 1

What blocks can be used for farm animal flank surgery?

Answer 1

Line Block
Inverted L block

Question 2

Describe the use of a line block in farm animal flank surgery

Answer 2

A series of injection down the incision site at different depths into the skin and muscle layers

Question 3

What is the aim of an inverted L block in farm animal flank surgery?

Answer 3

Block the nerves that supply the flank area

Question 4

What are the drawbacks of line and inverted L blocks in farm animal flank surgeries?

Answer 4

Repeated injections
Adrenaline (in farm animal LAs)
Unreliable anaesthesia of peritoneum
Slow acting

Question 5

What is the best option for anaesthesia in farm animal flank surgery?

Answer 5

Paravertebral anaesthesia

Question 6

Describe the use of paravertebral anaesthesia for farm animal flank surgery

Answer 6

Block the nerves that supply the flank region close to the point where they outflow from the spine

Question 7

Which nerves are blocked in a paravertebral anaesthesia

Answer 7

T13
L1
L2
L3 (if operating lower e.g., caesarean)

Question 8

Which blocks can be used for foot surgery in farm animals?

Answer 8

ring block
Intravenous regional anaesthesia
Local infiltration

Question 9

Describe a ring block in farm animal foot surgery

Answer 9

Inject around the top of the hoof in varying depths to block as much of the nerve supply as possible to the hoof

Question 10

What is the preferred option for foot surgery in farm animals?

Answer 10

Intravenous regional anaesthesia

Question 11

Which blocks can be used for eye surgery in farm animals

Answer 11

Local infiltration/’ring’
Retrobulbar block
Peterson block
Auriculopalpebral block

Question 12

Describe the use of local infiltration/ring block for eye surgery in farm animals

Answer 12

LA around the periphery of the eyelids => sensory blockage
Still blink

Question 13

Describe the use of an auriculopalpebral block in eye surgery of farm animals

Answer 13

Motor only, no sensory blockade
Stops blinking

Question 14

Which blocks can be used for major eye surgery in farm animals

Answer 14

Retrobulbar block
Peterson block

Question 15

Describe the use of the retrobulbar block in farm animal eye surgery

Answer 15

Potentially destructive so mainly used for enucleation
Straightforward block

Question 16

Describe the use of the Peterson block in farm animal eye surgery

Answer 16

more technically difficult
more likely to preserve normal structures of orbit

Question 17

Which blocks can be used in farm animal teat surgery?

Answer 17

‘ring’ block
Intravenous regional anaesthesia
Paravertebral/epidural
Local infiltration

Question 18

Describe the use of paravertebral/epidural blocks in farm animal teat surgery

Answer 18

Cranial teats - caudal paravertebral block (L3)
Caudal teats - caudal epidural

Question 19

What is the risk of using local infiltration in farm animal teat surgery?

Answer 19

adrenaline in farm LAs can cause vasoconstriction down the teat causing it to slough off

Question 20

what block is used in perineal surgery of farm animals

Answer 20

Epidural

Question 21

Which medicines are used for farm animal surgical blocks?

Answer 21

Procaine
Lignocaine

Question 22

Describe procaine in farm animal surgical blocks

Answer 22

Licensed in cattle
Combined with adrenaline
Used for field block/perineural administration
Contraindicated for epidural or IV use

Question 23

Describe the use of lignocaine in farm animal surgical blocks

Answer 23

licensed in horses
combined with adrenaline
used for regional/paravertebral nerve block or infiltration
Contraindicated for IV use