The Placement and Use of Epidural Catheters in Dogs

What does placing an epidural catheter involve?

As our patients don’t sit still like humans do, general anaesthesia is required for placement. This is normally the same anaesthetic as for their surgical or diagnostic procedure. A special needle is slowly advanced into the epidural space by the veterinary anaesthetist overseeing your pet’s care. The catheter is then threaded though the needle until it reaches the correct location, and the needle is then removed. The catheter is secured in place (usually with stitches) and will stay in place until it is no longer needed (normally 2-3 days).

Why do we use them?

One of the best methods of controlling surgical pain is to place local anaesthetic around the nerves supplying the operated area. These drugs prevent nerve impulses generated by a painful stimulus from reaching the brain. As a result, no pain is experienced. In human medicine, the use of local anaesthetic drugs in the epidural space, is often an integral part of the strategy for controlling pain associated with major chest or abdominal surgeries. In  dogs, the use of local anaesthetics via epidural catheters has been shown to decrease the need for injectable pain medication and promote earlier mobilisation and eating in the period after surgery. This has the potential to result in faster and happier recoveries from major surgeries. Some animal and human studies have also demonstrated improved survival and less long-term pain with the appropriate use of local anaesthetics in the epidural space.

You can contact us directly here or call us on 01582 853878 and we can advise you on a case by case basis.