Production animal field anesthesia is the process of anesthetising a production animal patient in an environment outside the clinic setting. This is most commonly achieved using total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) which when coupled with an unfamiliar environment with none of our usual emergency or monitoring equipment, may seem like a daunting prospect. However, with the high commercial value of cattle and the increase in ownership of production animal species as pets, it is very fast becoming a mainstay of routine and emergent production animal practice which presents an invaluable opportunity for trained veterinary nurses and technicians to upskill and be leaders in this space much like they are in small animal practice.

This presentation aims to provide attendees with a blueprint of how to approach these anesthetics in both emergency and routine settings including some case studies featuring real life cases. We discuss IV accesses options, drug selection, species differences and the associated complications that may arise and how to mitigate these and ultimately how to make the environment external to the clinic work for you and your patient in extenuating circumstances.

With an understanding of a few basic principles and having a methodical approach to these procedures we can improve patient outcomes while expanding our role as veterinary nurses and technicians.