Clinical techniques in veterinary dermatology Regional anaesthesia of the canine and feline nose.

Abstract

Local anaesthesia techniques are now essential parts of the multimodal analgesic approach applied in the care of small animals. The sensory innervation of the nose is provided by the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve, so nasal pain can be prevented or alleviated by blocking branches of this nerve. Maxillary or infraorbital nerve block can be used if invasive procedures are performed on the nose of the canine and feline patients. Clear anatomical landmarks facilitate the placements of these blocks, which impose relatively low risk to the patients. These blocks do not require any advanced equipment and all necessary material is widely available in small animal veterinary practices. The total dose of the local anaesthetic agents should be calculated precisely to avoid toxicity.