Quick sedation in dogs and cats gets a practical review

A new Cone of Shame “How Do You Treat That?” episode puts a spotlight on a familiar clinical problem: how to sedate dogs and cats quickly for short procedures without defaulting to full general anesthesia. In the March 19, 2026, episode, Dr. Andy Roark interviews Tasha McNerney, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia), who walks through reversible sedation approaches, multimodal analgesia, feline-specific strategies, when ketamine may help, and why local anesthesia can carry more of the load for painful procedures than many teams realize. The discussion centers on practical sedation choices for healthy dogs and cats needing low-pain or no-pain handling, as well as more involved but still brief procedures such as radiographs, wound care, diagnostics, and even limited surgical cleanup or repair when time or finances make full anesthesia difficult. (goodpods.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the episode lands on a key operational and patient-care tension: teams need restraint options that are efficient, fear-conscious, and appropriate for spectrum-of-care practice, but still safe and monitorable. It also speaks to a real-world pressure Dr. Roark raises directly in the episode: practices are increasingly trying to get necessary care done in a low-pain, low-fear way when clients face time or financial constraints. That emphasis aligns with AAHA guidance that anesthetic and sedation plans should be tailored to the patient and procedure, that reversible sedation can be useful in selected cases, and that monitoring remains essential even for shorter events. It also reinforces a broader pain-management principle: sedation alone isn't analgesia, and local blocks plus multimodal protocols can improve patient comfort while reducing reliance on deeper anesthesia. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect this conversation to feed continued interest in short-procedure sedation protocols, technician-led anesthesia education, and wider use of local and regional analgesia in general practice. It may also add momentum to broader discussions around fear-free handling and staff safety, especially for patients that are difficult to manage physically but may not need full anesthesia if clinics have workable brief-sedation frameworks. (aaha.org)