Anaesthesia and
Analgesia


When your pet is referred to Southfields Veterinary Specialists there is a possibility they may need sedation, general anaesthesia, or pain relief for the diagnostic or surgical procedures we need to undertake. Our Anaesthesia team work closely with our clinicians to ensure that every patient has a plan tailored to their specific requirements and individual needs.

Ensuring your pet’s comfort

Every pet is unique. Every case is also unique in terms of your pet’s medical status, their temperament and their response to being in a strange environment like a hospital. We make it our promise to make their stay with us as comfortable as possible. To make sure every patient receives optimal pain relief and experiences a stress-free recovery, our veterinary anaesthetists evaluate your pet’s needs at each stage of their stay with us; before, during, and after any procedure.

Safe hands

Our dedicated Intensive Care Unit offers even more attentive care for critically ill pets. We use an extensive range of anaesthetic monitoring equipment tailored to each patient.

Our Specialist Anaesthesia team continuously monitors ICU patients around the clock. They are backed up by our dedicated Intensive Care team, whose mission is to provide a calm and supportive atmosphere and environment for your pet, and reassurance for you that your pet is in safe hands.

As well as anaesthesia for diagnostic and surgical procedures, our team provide pain management, including acupuncture, for chronic conditions.  Our Pain Management service helps with conditions such as acute and chronic otitis, degenerative disc disease, arthritis and hip dysplasia. We can also alleviate pain for cats and dogs undergoing cancer treatment.

Pets referred to Southfields for pain management receive an in-depth consultation with a member of our Anaesthesia and Analgesia team. This includes a full physical examination, following which we develop an individual treatment plan based on the patient’s assessment and history.

To find out more about our Pain Management service, click here to read our Pain Management fact sheet.

Our clinical services include:

Anaesthesia management for in-patients:

  • Multi-modal approach to analgesia in all cases, including the use of acupuncture and ultrasound guided nerve blocks
  • Critical care support, with an anaesthetist forming part of the ICU team as standard
  • Interventional respiratory radiology techniques
  • State-of-the-art monitoring and ICU equipment including capnography and continuous ECG, available for every patient from induction until discharge

Extensive range of anaesthetic monitoring equipment tailored to each patient:

  • Electrocardiography
  • Capnography
  • Pulse oximetry
  • Arterial blood gas monitoring
  • Indirect and direct arterial blood pressure monitoring
  • Central venous pressure monitoring
  • Urine output monitoring
  • Syringe-drivers available for all patients post-operatively

Acupuncture outpatient and pain management clinics for chronic conditions:

  • Acute and chronic otitis
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Arthritis
  • Hip dysplasia

Our Anaesthesia and Analgesia Team

Our Anaesthesia and Analgesia team are committed to giving the very best care to all our patients. The team is made up of RCVS and European specialists, residency-trained consultants and dedicated anaesthesia nurses.

The team works closely with the wider clinical team to make sure your pet receives the most effective pain relief. We work with all our multi-disciplinary services to draw up optimal multi-modal analgesia plans for all patients under our care. The team also assists all our other services to care for emergency and critical care patients.



"Rufus, my ten-year-old Newfoundland has been referred on numerous occasions. He has always received excellent treatment, with each condition and treatment options being fully explained before any procedures have taken place, including emergency procedures."

Miss Bailey, Southend on Sea