386 - HDYTT: Quick Sedation in Dogs and Cats

Tasha McNerney, CVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia), tackles one of the most common clinical dilemmas, how do you safely sedate dogs and cats for quick procedures without committing them to a full day of anesthesia or risking complications. If you have ever hesitated before radiographs, wound repair, or diagnostics because you wanted fear-free handling but also needed efficiency, this episode delivers practical answers. Tasha walks through reversible sedation protocols, multimodal analgesia, and how to combine opioids, dexmedetomidine, and local blocks to maximize comfort while protecting the airway. She also shares feline sedation strategies, when to add ketamine, and how local anesthesia can do the heavy lifting for painful procedures. You will walk away with confidence, safer sedation choices, and tools to deliver high-quality care even in spectrum-of-care situations. Gang, let’s get into this episode! Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds: Tasha McNerney obtained her CVT in 2005 and has worked clinically in the areas of anesthesia and surgery ever since. Tasha obtained her CVPP (certified veterinary pain practitioner) designation in 2013 and became a veterinary technician specialist in anesthesia in 2015. Tasha has been a featured speaker on various anesthesia and pain management topics at several international veterinary conferences. Tasha is the author of many articles and blogs on anesthesia and pain management related topics. In 2013 Tasha created the Facebook group Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds, which has over 65,000 members taking part in education and exchange of ideas from all over the world! Mentioned in this episode: Register for the Dont Get Sued course! On Demand Team Training Bundle Great medicine can still lead to tough conversations with clients. The Team Training Bundle gives your veterinary team practical tools to handle angry clients and communicate clearly in the exam room, so every interaction builds trust instead of tension. Flexible, on-demand training makes it easy to strengthen communication across your entire clinic. Learn more about the Team Training Bundle here! Office Hours w/ Dr. Andy Roark Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges. Register for Office Hours here! Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures. Spots are limited. Register now! Register for Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop here!

You can listen to 386 - HDYTT: Quick Sedation in Dogs and Cats online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

386 - HDYTT: Quick Sedation in Dogs and Cats is an episode from The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast by Dr. Andy Roark.

This episode is 32:37 long.

This episode was published on Mar 19, 2026.

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