Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds podcast | Listen online for free

Available Episodes

5 of 72

Nutrition's Important Role in Anesthesia & Pain Management- with Robin Saar, RVT, VTS (Nutrition)
Nutrition is often a forgotten aspect of the overall animal healthcare experience, especially when compared to the more "sexy" specialties such as ECC and Anesthesia. However, nutrition plays a VITAL role in effecting almost all specialties and body systems of our patients. Today we talk to Robin Saar, a VTS (Nutrition) to talk about how nutrition plays a role specifically in post op recovery, and pain managment! Resources mentioned in this episode: Chaitman J, Ziese AL, Pilla R, Minamoto Y, Blake AB, Guard BC, Isaiah A, Lidbury JA, Steiner JM, Unterer S, Suchodolski JS. Fecal Microbial and Metabolic Profiles in Dogs With Acute Diarrhea Receiving Either Fecal Microbiota Transplantation or Oral Metronidazole. Front Vet Sci. 2020 Apr 16;7:192. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00192. PMID: 32363202; PMCID: PMC7182012. Martini, S. E., Schmidt, T., Huang, W., Blake, A. B., Cavasin, J. P., Suchodolski, J. S., & Swanson, K. S. (2025). Effects of Metronidazole on the Fecal Microbiota, Fecal Metabolites, and Serum Metabolites of Healthy Adult Cats. Pets, 2(2), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/pets2020019 https://www.amazon.ca/Veterinary-Small-Animal-Microbiomes-Nutrition/dp/1119862604 https://todaysveterinarynurse.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/TVN-2023-01_Nutrition_Microbiome.pdf About Robin: Robin is a vintage registered veterinary technologist with a Veterinary Technician Specialty in Nutrition. Her professional experience includes working in small and mixed animal practices as an RVT, and a Practice Manager, developing a nationwide nutrition program for a Canadian veterinary corporation, and gaining sales and customer education skills at a start-up microbiome-focused company. Currently, at Royal Canin, Robin is a Sr. Scientific Communications Technician and she is completing her masters in Animal Nutrition at the University of Glasgow. Robin is a peer-reviewed, published author and was the lead author on the first dedicated textbook “Small Animal Microbiomes and Nutrition”. She enjoys supporting the veterinary community and volunteers on multiple organization boards.
--------
30:44
Should I Be Using PEEP? with Erin Czerwonka, RVT, RRT
Sure you have used the vent, but are you always using PEEP? Should we always be using PEEP? This episode features Erin Czerwonka who is not only and RVT but also and RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist!!! While her primary focus has always been referral anesthesia, Erin has also gained valuable experience working in the Ophthalmology, Cardiology, and ICU departments. In 2015, she took a significant detour from veterinary medicine to pursue an Advanced Diploma in Respiratory Therapy. In January 2018, she successfully challenged the Canadian board examination to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). Although she no longer maintains her RRT status, the knowledge and skills she acquired during that time continue to enrich her anesthesia practice every day. A lifelong nerd at heart, Erin has always had a passion for learning. Her current professional interests include locoregional anesthesia, difficult airway management, mechanical ventilation, and pain management. She is currently pursuing certification as a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (CVPP) through the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM). Outside of work, Erin enjoys kayaking and watching tennis with her husband, Mason. She also delights in showering affection—sometimes aggressively—on her dog, Auzi, and her two cats, Bruce Wayne and Hazel. Resources: Journal Article: Setting the optimal positive end expiratory pressure: a narrative review (veterinary) https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1083290/full Journal Article: Perioperative high inspired oxygen fraction induces atelectasis in patients undergoing abdominal surgery: A randomized controlled trial (human) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0952818021001240 Video: EMTprep - PEEP (human) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu4sChU9eBo Video: Respiratory Coach - How does PEEP affect oxygenation? (human) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP9DDRdGmPw Video: Respiratory Coach - What is PEEP? (human) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6_lzL8qQDs
--------
35:06
Is Anesthesia Killing the Planet? with Toby Trimble BVM BVS, BVMedSci, MVM, Dip. ECVAA, MRCVS
With all the buzz around climate change, you may not have stopped to think how our work in anesthesia contributes to the overall warming of the planet. But, Toby Trimble is here to break it down for us. In this episode we discuss some of the ways the anesthesia industry contributes to environmental issues. Volatile anesthetics are potent greenhouse gases, meaning they trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Lets discuss ways we can keep our patients (and the earth) as safe as possible. Toby is the founder of Trimble Group, a veterinary led creative consultancy company reinventing education for animal health, making it less like PowerPoint and more like Netflix. He focuses on making education engaging, visual, and memorable. With his team, Toby has created over one thousand CPD videos and live broadcasts in the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia. Resources: https://www.trimblegroup.io/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349057447_Measurement_of_anesthetic_pollution_in_veterinary_operating_rooms_for_small_animals https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/governance-and-committees/asa-committees/environmental-sustainability/greening-the-operating-room/inhaled-anesthetics#:~:text=By%20definition%2C%20the%20GWP%20of,%2C%20and%20sevoflurane%20(144).&text=These%20factors%20are%20routinely%20updated%20as%20atmospheric%20chemistry%20is%20continuously%20changing.
--------
26:10
Are we Overdoing it with the Opioids? with Dr. Gianluca Bini
Listen in to this episode of the Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds podcast for a crucial discussion with Dr. Gianluca Bini on the evolving landscape of perioperative pain management. This episode dives into the potential overuse of opioids in veterinary medicine and explores the exciting possibilities of incorporating Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols. Dr. Bini highlights the strategic use of local and regional anesthetic blocks as a key component of ERAS, demonstrating how these techniques can significantly reduce opioid reliance, improve patient outcomes, and pave the way for a more balanced approach to veterinary anesthesia. References: https://www.vaajournal.org/article/S1467-2987(18)30023-0/abstract https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36108100/
--------
32:15
So, you want to be a VTS? Start Here!
Have you been thinking about taking that next step in your tech anesthesia journey? Join Darci Palmer and Tasha McNerney as they break down the specifics of what is involved in the VTS journey. Visit https://www.avtaa-vts.org/application-forms.pml for more information.
--------
40:23