So, you want to be a VTS? Start Here!

In this episode of the Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds podcast we sit down with renowned veterinary anesthesiologist Dr. Sheilah Robertson to tackle the unique challenges of pediatric anesthesia. When dealing with tiny kittens and puppies, Dr. Robertson shares her expertise on how physiology, drug metabolism, and peri-anesthetic care differ in young patients. The conversation covers practical considerations such as choosing safe induction agents, managing hypothermia and hypoglycemia, and setting realistic expectations with pet owners. With her wealth of clinical experience, Dr. Robertson offers evidence-based tips and pearls that help veterinary teams feel more confident providing anesthesia to their smallest and most fragile patients. Dr. Sheilah Robertson is an internationally recognized veterinary anesthesiologist and animal welfare advocate with a career spanning academia, clinical practice, research, and leadership. A graduate of the University of Glasgow with a PhD from Bristol, she is board-certified in anesthesia and animal welfare, and currently serves as Senior Medical Director at Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice and Courtesy Professor at the University of Florida. She has published extensively on pain management and anesthesia, contributed to global guidelines such as the WSAVA Pain Council and AAFP Feline Anesthesia Guidelines, and held leadership roles including President of the ACVAA. Her contributions have earned her numerous honors, including the AVMA Animal Welfare Award and the WVA Global Veterinary Award for Animal Welfare.

Do your surgical patients need more than just a comforter and a heat source in recovery? Join Tabitha Kucera, RVT, KPA-CTP, VTS (Behavior) as we talk about al the ways you can create the optimal surgical recovery area for your patients. What sights, sounds, and smells should we be trying to achieve or avoid? Its all discussed today on the Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds podcast! About Tabitha: As a veterinary technician, Tabitha worked with animal rescue organizations and in general practice. She quickly became dedicated to learning about the root causes and permanent solutions to feline and canine behavior concerns. She began to teach herself about behavior through continuing education, workshops, speaking to experts, completing her Low Stress Handling and Elite Fear Free Certifications, obtaining her KPA-CTP through the Karen Pryor Academy, and became a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant through the IAABC. She has also received her Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior Designation. She is one of only 30 in the world currently! You can find more information at: https://chirrupsandchatter.com/

In this episode, we’re diving into the world of inhalant anesthetics—specifically isoflurane and sevoflurane—and how they fit into a balanced anesthesia protocol. Join Tasha & VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) Jen Dupre-Welsh as they break down the pharmacology, pros and cons, and clinical considerations of each agent. Whether you're a seasoned technician or just getting comfortable with gas anesthesia, this episode will help you better understand how these inhalants contribute to safe and effective anesthetic plans in veterinary practice. Jen Dupre Welsh CVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) is an experienced Specialized Veterinary Anesthesia Technician with a demonstrated history of working in the veterinary industry, both University and Specialty practice. Strong healthcare services professional skilled in Veterinary Medicine, Anesthesia, and Assessment and Management of Pain in Small And Large Animals. She has developed numerous courses in the classroom and laboratory settings in anesthesia and analgesia for veterinary students and veterinary professionals. Credentialed as a VTS in Anesthesia and Analgesia and a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner through the International Academy of Veterinary Pain Management. Resources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9563634/ https://www.vetamac.com/guide-to-installing-filling-draining-and-removing-a-vaporizer/

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.

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

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.

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/

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.

You think your anesthesia plan needs an opioid (and you're probably right) but which one to choose? From receptors to duration, join Stephen, Darci, and Tasha as they discuss which opioids to consider, why they work the way they do, and when to change plans if needed. further reading: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21952398/ https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-020-02364-w

Ever wondered about the difference between oxygenation and ventilation? 🫁💨 Join us as Veterinary Technician Specialist Meagan Crowley breaks it down in a way that’s both practical and engaging! Useful for every anesthesia case you perform, we’ll explore why understanding this distinction is critical for patient care. Hypoxemia, hypoventilation, physical monitoring parameters, and physiology will be discussed. Whether you’re a vet tech, vet, or student, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!