Assessment and Management of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 February 2026 | Viewed by 1572

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, Hokkaido 069-8501, Japan
Interests: veterinary anesthesia (dogs, cats, cows, horses); small animal intensive care medicine; small animal nursing care
School of Veterinary Nursing & Technology, Nippon Veterinary & Life Science University, 1-7-1, Kyonan-cho, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan
Interests: veterinary anesthesia; veterinary analgesia

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will focus on contemporary approaches to veterinary anesthesia and analgesia, covering both foundational knowledge and recent advancements in clinical practice. Emphasis will be placed on improving safety, efficacy, and welfare outcomes across a variety of species.

The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Anesthetic protocols and innovations for small animals, large animals, and exotic species;
  • Pain assessment tools and multimodal analgesia strategies;
  • Advances in peri-operative monitoring and patient safety;
  • Anesthetic pharmacology and species-specific considerations;
  • Integration of technology (e.g., telemetry, AI-assisted monitoring);
  • Case-based insights and practical solutions for common clinical challenges.

Both original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome. Submissions addressing clinical applicability, evidence-based approaches, and interdisciplinary perspectives are especially encouraged.

Our aim in launching this Special Issue is to compile relevant and up-to-date resources for veterinary clinicians, researchers, and educators. By bridging scientific findings and real-world applications, this Special Issue will support evidence-based decision-making and inspire further innovation in the fields of veterinary anesthesia and pain management.

While numerous studies have explored isolated aspects of veterinary anesthesia or analgesia, few compilations have offered a holistic and clinically relevant overview spanning both disciplines, with a focus on practical application. This Special Issue will serve as a complementary resource to the existing literature by integrating current research into real-world case scenarios, highlighting under-represented species and emerging methods, and encouraging cross-disciplinary dialogue. The inclusion of diverse article types—ranging from experimental research to clinical guidelines—will help bridge the gap between academic study and veterinary practice.

Dr. Tadashi Sano
Dr. Seri Seki
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 anesthesia
  • analgesia
  • pain management
  • peri-operative care
  • anesthetic monitoring
  • multimodal analgesia
  • patient safety
  • clinical veterinary medicine
  • species-specific anesthesia
  • veterinary pharmacology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1094 KB  
Article
Dexmedetomidine or Butorphanol for Co-Induction of General Anaesthesia with Propofol in Unpremedicated Healthy Dogs: Clinical and Echocardiographic Assessment
by Giuliano Ravasio, Martina Amari, Chiara Locatelli, Francesco Ferrari, Andrea Jacchetti, Valerio Bronzo and Federica Alessandra Brioschi
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(9), 885; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12090885 - 13 Sep 2025
Viewed by 420
Abstract
High induction doses of propofol (PPF) may cause adverse effects. Co-induction protocols can reduce doses and enhance the beneficial profile of each drug. This study compared the induction quality, clinical, and echocardiographic effects of two rapid co-inductions in healthy, unpremedicated dogs. Baseline cardiorespiratory [...] Read more.
High induction doses of propofol (PPF) may cause adverse effects. Co-induction protocols can reduce doses and enhance the beneficial profile of each drug. This study compared the induction quality, clinical, and echocardiographic effects of two rapid co-inductions in healthy, unpremedicated dogs. Baseline cardiorespiratory and echocardiographic variables were recorded. Dogs randomly received rapid intravenous PPF (2.2 mg/kg) with either dexmedetomidine (3 µg/kg) (PROPODEX; n = 12) or butorphanol (0.4 mg/kg) (PROPOBUT; n = 12). Induction quality, additional PPF dose, intubation time, cardiorespiratory parameters (2, 5, 10, 15, 20 min), and recovery quality were recorded. A second echocardiography was performed 5 min after induction. Induction quality was significantly higher in PROPODEX, with significantly lower additional PPF requirements and shorter intubation time. In PROPODEX, heart rate significantly decreased from baseline and was significantly lower than PROPOBUT, while arterial blood pressures significantly increased in PROPODEX and decreased in PROPOBUT from baseline. PROPOBUT significantly reduced left ventricular (LV) diastolic volumes and increased E/A ratio, while PROPODEX significantly increased LV systolic diameter and volumes, and significantly decreased fractional shortening. Recovery was significantly faster and better in PROPODEX. PROPOBUT preserved cardiac function but caused hypotension. PROPODEX provided superior induction and recovery quality, and cardiorespiratory stability, with only mild systolic function depression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment and Management of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia)
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9 pages, 195 KB  
Article
Translation and Linguistic Validation into Spanish of the Owner-Reported Outcome Measure “Helsinki Chronic Pain Index” (HCPI)
by María Olcoz, Miguel Ángel Cabezas and Ignacio A. Gómez de Segura
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(9), 811; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12090811 - 26 Aug 2025
Viewed by 781
Abstract
Due to the challenges in evaluating chronic pain in dogs, owner-reported outcome measures have been developed, such as the Helsinki Chronic Pain Index (HCPI), originally written in Finnish and published in English, limiting its use among Spanish-speaking veterinarians and owners/caretakers. The goal of [...] Read more.
Due to the challenges in evaluating chronic pain in dogs, owner-reported outcome measures have been developed, such as the Helsinki Chronic Pain Index (HCPI), originally written in Finnish and published in English, limiting its use among Spanish-speaking veterinarians and owners/caretakers. The goal of this study was to obtain an equivalent Spanish version of the HCPI. The translation process followed established guidelines. First, two native Spanish speakers independently translated the HCPI from English to Spanish. A veterinary professional and a third translator then compared the translations to create a unified version. Next, an independent linguist translated the reconciled Spanish version back into English. The research team, alongside one of the linguists, reviewed the translation to resolve any discrepancies. To conclude, a cognitive assessment was conducted with 62 dog owners from diverse demographics to evaluate clarity and understanding of the translated HCPI. This resulted in a linguistically validated Spanish version of the HCPI that is conceptually aligned with the original, as a first step to validate its use by Spanish-speaking veterinarians and researchers to manage chronic pain in dogs. The next step in the process is psychometric validation, which will ensure the tool’s reliability and applicability in both clinical and research settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment and Management of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia)
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