Observations of Private Veterinary Practices in Colorado, with an Emphasis on Anesthesia

Abstract

Rationale for the study – To give academic faculty in anesthesia a better understanding of the anesthetic techniques used by veterinarians in private practice, in order to enhance their teaching of anesthesiology to veterinary students. Methodology – Two anesthesia faculty members visited 20 different small-animal veterinary practices, interviewing veterinarians and technical staff about their use of anesthesia and their anesthesia-related problems. Results – Compared to most university veterinary teaching hospitals, private practitioners tended to use fewer anesthetic drugs, provide fewer analgesics, do more out-patient procedures, and rarely monitor blood pressure in anesthetized animals. Conclusions – Techniques of anesthesia and monitoring used in private veterinary practice are often quite different from those used in large university teaching hospitals.