Although anaesthesia and sedation are performed daily in small animal practices, it can be a daunting decision for both veterinarians and nurses to decide what products to use. The extensive range of medications available, varying procedures, and the relative safety risk of each treatment, need to be considered for each individual patient. Additionally, as new scientific anaesthetic research is being published continually, retaining this volume of information can be overwhelming.

Dechra, already well known for our comprehensive anaesthesia product range, recognised the need to support veterinarians and veterinary nurses by providing them with a timely and easily accessible means to access the most up-to-date anaesthetic protocols for different types of patients undergoing varying treatments.

As a result, the Dechra Dog & Cat Anaesthesia App was developed. It was launched at the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA), Spring Meeting in March 2019.

Developed in collaboration with two leading European Specialists in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and endorsed by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA), the App provides specialist information in a format that is periodically updated to reflect new products, any changes in practice and new research findings.

Matt Gurney BVSc, CertVA, DipECVAA, MRCVS, one of the authors of the App and an RCVS and EBVS European Veterinary Specialist in Anaesthesia and Analgesia commented "The Dechra Anaesthesia App fills a clear gap in the market in the age of instant information. The App provides reassurance to veterinary practitioners that the recommendations provided are up to date and delivered by specialists in the field of anaesthesia and pain management. This is a clear benefit to the patients being treated."

The App is an intuitive tool. It is designed to assist veterinarians in developing appropriate anaesthetic protocols for different types of patients and their unique circumstances. It contains information on the full range of relevant and commonly used molecules. It assists veterinarians in choosing the most appropriate product for each procedure and it has an in-built dose calculator that helps to simplify the process and save time for busy vets.

Potential medication doses and combinations suggested in the App are based on the extensive expertise and clinical experience of the authors. In addition to providing routine protocols which are up-to-date with current opinion, the App is particularly valuable to veterinarians who will frequently be asked to treat challenging patients; from paediatric to geriatric, aggressive to moribund, across a wide range of procedures varying from non-painful imaging to severely painful orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery.

Many of these situations are not covered in individual product data sheets (SPCs) or textbooks. The App is therefore unique in providing this up-to-date expert knowledge at veterinarians' fingertips.

The App also contains the AVA Anaesthetic Safety Checklist, a pre-anaesthetic checklist designed to improve veterinary patient safety. This follows a similar checklist developed and used in human medicine which has been shown to almost halve the anaesthetic death risk.

This is an innovative and unique way to provide veterinarians with useful, practical anaesthesia support. It will make the day-to-day life of veterinarians in practice easier, improve patient safety and provide more animals with an optimal anaesthetic experience.

In turn, our investment in the development and launch of this important service reinforces Dechra's reputation as leaders in veterinary anaesthesia.

The Dechra Dog & Cat Anaesthesia App, which is already immensely popular with veterinarians, is freely available on both iOS and Android operating systems and can also be downloaded directly from the Dechra and AVA websites.