Regional anesthetic techniques for the pelvic limb and abdominal wall in small animals: A review of the literature and technique description

Abstract

Increasing interest in using peripheral nerve blocks in small animals is evident, given the numerous studies published recently on this topic in important veterinary journals. Initially, research was focused on intraoperative analgesia to the pelvic limb, and several descriptions of lumbosacral plexus, femoral and sciatic nerve blocks have been described in studies. There is recent interest in developing techniques for somatosensory blockade of the abdominal wall. This article is the second part of a two-part review of regional anesthesia (RA) in small animals, and its aim is to discuss the most relevant studies in the veterinary literature, where objective methods of nerve location have been used, and to illustrate in pictures the currently used techniques for providing RA to the abdominal wall and the pelvic limb in small animals.

Keywords: Cats; Dogs; Femoral and sciatic nerve blocks; Regional anesthesia; TAP block.