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Veterinary Sciences
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Innovative Approaches in the Perioperative Management of Companion Animals and...
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Innovative Approaches in the Perioperative Management of Companion Animals and Livestock

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Surgery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1751

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Andrea Paolini

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Guest Editor
Small Animal Surgery and Anaesthesia Service, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Interests: anaesthesia; analgesia; locoregional anaesthesia technique; sedation; dogs; cats; rabbits
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Amanda Bianchi

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Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Interests: veterinary surgery; laparoscopy; theriogenology
Dr. Pedro Figueirinhas

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Guest Editor
Departamento de Patología Animal, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña S/N, 35416 Arucas, Spain
Interests: clinical anesthesia; analgesia; perioperative care
Prof. Dr. Roberto Tamburro

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Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Interests: small animal surgery; orthopedics; traumatology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Perioperative management is a cornerstone of modern veterinary practice, integrating advances in anesthesia, analgesia, and surgical care to improve safety, outcomes, and animal welfare. With rapid progress in pharmacology and techniques (for example, locoregional anesthesia), monitoring technology, and surgical techniques (laparoscopic and thoracoscopic techniques), veterinarians now have access to a wide range of evidence-based tools that support more precise, species-specific perioperative decision-making. This Special Issue invites contributions that highlight scientific and clinical evidence in anesthesia, pain management, and surgical practice affecting companion animals and livestock. Topics may include novel anesthetic agents and protocols, multimodal analgesic strategies, intraoperative monitoring innovations, enhanced recovery pathways, and emerging surgical techniques—ranging from minimally invasive procedures to complex soft tissue and orthopedic interventions.

By bringing together high-quality research, clinical case analyses, and technological innovations, this Special Issue aims to strengthen the body of surgical and anesthetic evidence available to practitioners. The ultimate goal is to promote safer anesthesia, more effective analgesia, and improved surgical outcomes across diverse species, supporting elevated standards of veterinary care and advancing animal welfare in both small and large animal medicine.

Dr. Andrea Paolini
Dr. Amanda Bianchi
Dr. Pedro Figueirinhas
Prof. Dr. Roberto Tamburro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • veterinary perioperative management
  • anesthesia
  • analgesia
  • surgical care
  • companion animals
  • livestock

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 256 KB  
Article
Ultrasound-Guided Sciatic and Saphenous Nerve Blocks Enhance Perioperative Analgesia in Sheep Undergoing Experimental Orthopaedic Hindlimb Surgery
by Oliver Rodriguez, Pedro Figueirinhas, Daniela Vazquez, Sara Del-Rosario, Yeray Brito-Casillas, Sergio Martin, Andrea Paolini, Anabel Mateo-Cebrián and Raquel Rodríguez-Trujillo
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(4), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13040318 - 26 Mar 2026
Viewed by 384
Abstract
The demand for refined anaesthetic protocols in ovine experimental surgery has increased due to ethical considerations and the need to improve perioperative stability. This study evaluated the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided combined sciatic and saphenous nerve blocks using two different local anaesthetics in [...] Read more.
The demand for refined anaesthetic protocols in ovine experimental surgery has increased due to ethical considerations and the need to improve perioperative stability. This study evaluated the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided combined sciatic and saphenous nerve blocks using two different local anaesthetics in Hair Canarian Sheep undergoing invasive orthopaedic hindlimb surgery. Fifteen clinically healthy sheep were randomly assigned to one of three groups: lidocaine (2%), bupivacaine (0.5%), or control (general anaesthesia alone). Intraoperative physiological parameters, including heart rate, respiratory rate, and arterial blood pressure, were recorded, and postoperative pain was assessed using a modified Melbourne Pain Scale. Sheep receiving locoregional anaesthesia showed significantly lower postoperative pain scores compared with control animals. Intraoperatively, a significant difference between groups was observed only for respiratory rate, with lower values in the bupivacaine group. The bupivacaine group exhibited lower and more stable respiratory rates, with a trend towards lower heart rates during surgery, as well as consistently lower pain scores during the early postoperative period. Lidocaine provided limited intraoperative and postoperative effects compared with the control group. Respiratory rate appeared to be more closely associated with pain scores than other physiological parameters. In conclusion, ultrasound-guided sciatic and saphenous nerve blocks were associated with improved perioperative analgesia in sheep undergoing orthopaedic surgery. The use of bupivacaine was associated with lower respiratory rates intraoperatively and reduced postoperative pain scores, suggesting a potential benefit in perioperative analgesia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Perioperative Management of Companion Animals and Livestock)
19 pages, 877 KB  
Article
Effects of Laparoscopic and Open Ovariectomy on Cortisol and Oxidative Stress in Dogs Under the Same Anesthesia Protocol
by Sandra Čechovičienė, Ieva Šidlauskaitė, Aidas Grigonis, Birutė Karvelienė, Ieva Sarapinienė, Ieva Čiapienė, Sigita Kerzienė, Vita Riškevičienė and Dalia Juodžentė
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(4), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13040310 - 24 Mar 2026
Viewed by 440
Abstract
The main distinction between open and laparoscopic ovariectomy (OVE) is pneumoperitoneum (PNP) and anesthesia management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of laparoscopic and open OVE on plasma cortisol, oxidative stress (OS), and cardiorespiratory parameters in dogs under the [...] Read more.
The main distinction between open and laparoscopic ovariectomy (OVE) is pneumoperitoneum (PNP) and anesthesia management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of laparoscopic and open OVE on plasma cortisol, oxidative stress (OS), and cardiorespiratory parameters in dogs under the same anesthesia protocol. Twenty healthy female dogs were assigned to laparotomy OVE (LPTOVE, n = 10) and laparoscopic OVE (LAPOVE, n = 10) groups. OS was assessed using the total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and oxidative stress index (OSI). Blood samples were collected prior to sedation (T0); prior to surgical incision (T1); prior to surgical closure in the LPTOVE group; and prior to the deflation of CO2 in the LAPOVE group (T2), 2 h after the surgery (T3). The monitored cardiorespiratory parameters were heart rate, respiratory rate, and end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2). Cortisol levels at T3 were markedly elevated in the LPTOVE group compared to the LAPOVE group. No substantial changes in TOS, TAS, or OSI between groups were detected. In the LAPOVE group, TOS diminished at T2, but TAS declined and OSI escalated at T3. EtCO2 levels were elevated in the LAPOVE group at the end of the procedure. These findings support laparoscopic OVE as a less traumatic alternative to open surgery, with careful management of PNP and anesthesia recommended to minimize postoperative stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Perioperative Management of Companion Animals and Livestock)
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14 pages, 11873 KB  
Article
Ultrasound-Guided Mandibular Alveolar Nerve Block in Rabbits: A Cadaveric Comparison of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Approaches
by Matteo Serpieri, Andrea Degiovanni, Giuseppe Bonaffini, Elena Passarino, Giuseppe Quaranta and Mitzy Mauthe von Degerfeld
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(2), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13020135 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 627
Abstract
Mandibular dental disease is common in pet rabbits and often requires invasive procedures associated with significant nociceptive input. Mandibular alveolar nerve blocks have been described in this species using blind techniques; however, their accuracy has not been objectively evaluated, and ultrasound-guided approaches have [...] Read more.
Mandibular dental disease is common in pet rabbits and often requires invasive procedures associated with significant nociceptive input. Mandibular alveolar nerve blocks have been described in this species using blind techniques; however, their accuracy has not been objectively evaluated, and ultrasound-guided approaches have not been reported. This cadaveric study aimed to describe an ultrasound-guided mandibular alveolar nerve block in rabbits and to compare in-plane and out-of-plane approaches. Twelve adult New Zealand White rabbit cadavers (24 mandibular alveolar nerves) were included. For each rabbit, one nerve was assigned to an in-plane ultrasound-guided approach, while the contralateral nerve was assigned to an out-of-plane approach. Following ultrasound-guided needle placement, 0.1 mL/kg of a mixture of 2% lidocaine and 1% methylene blue was injected. Ultrasound image quality and perineural staining were assessed and scored, and longitudinal dye spread was measured after anatomical dissection. Both approaches allowed consistent identification of the target region and resulted in comparable ultrasound image quality scores, staining scores, and longitudinal dye spread, with no statistically significant differences between techniques. These results demonstrate the anatomical feasibility of ultrasound-guided mandibular alveolar nerve blocks in rabbits using either approach. Further in vivo studies are required to assess clinical efficacy and safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Perioperative Management of Companion Animals and Livestock)
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