Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966

Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 lists the treatments and operations that may be carried out by people who are not veterinary surgeons. It was amended in 1991 to allow veterinary nurses to carry out medical treatment, including minor surgery that does not involve entering a body cavity, so long as the nurse is directed by a vet. It is left to the vet to decide what constitutes treatment or minor surgery and if the nurse is capable of performing the procedure.
Common surgical procedures are: Elective (performed on a healthy animal, including spaying and castrating); Dental; Surgical oncology (removal of tumours); Opthalmic (eye surgery); Orthopedic;
Caesarian Section; Cystotomy (opening bowel to remove stones or tumours); Foreign
Anaesthesia is to "artificially induce, by injection or gas, an insensitivity to pain before surgical procedures". A local anaesthetic is an injection, spray or cream that is applied to a small area of the body. It is useful for wound closure, removal of small tumours, chest draining and when placing an endotracheal tube. Sedatives are drugs can be used to calm a patient, as a pre-med to general anaesthetic, or to put the animal into a deep sleep. The type and dosage will depend upon the level of sedation required.
General anaesthetic is a drug-induced state of pain and sensation-free unconsciousness and is used for most surgery and dental work. Induction is usually by injection, and then as a gas through an endotracheal tube to keep the animal unconscious. When the procedure is over the gas is stopped and the animal will start to regain consciousness. This can take up to 3 hours, depending on the drugs used and the length of anaesthesia, though it usually takes around 15-20
First of all, place the animal in a position that gives access to the surgical site and remove any hair and dirt. The hair should be clipped with a size 40 blade, leaving wide borders around the site. If the animal has a wound there KY jelly should be applied to avoid contamination during clipping. For some orthopedic procedures the whole limb will need to be clipped. To remove any loose hair, use a vaccum cleaner and then wipe the area with a 4by4 gauze. Without touching the site with your fingers, clean it with surgical scrub preparation applied with gauze swabs. Wipe in a circular pattern, moving outwards from where the incision line will be. When you touch the edge of the surgical site, discard the swab and use a fresh one. Repeat the process several times until the discarded swab is clean. Then spray the area with a de-greasing agent, such as alcohol.
There are strict protocols that must be followed in order to maintain an extremely high standard