Veterinary Anaesthesia School for Veterinary Technicians, Nurses and Veterinarians

This is where your journey begins. In this module, you will learn to perform risk assessments, conduct thorough pre-anaesthetic evaluations, and select appropriate premedications, induction agents, and maintenance techniques.

These skills are complemented by essential airway safety and intubation techniques — foundational competencies for any veterinary anaesthesia professional.

All of this is supplemented by group work and hands-on equipment demonstrations to reinforce your learning through practical application.

Your second big step into the world of veterinary anaesthesia. This module focuses on mastering inhalational techniques, understanding anaesthetic gases, and learning the fundamentals of the anaesthesia machine and breathing systems.

You will also gain essential skills in monitoring techniques, including the principles of operation and practical use of devices such as:

• ECG
• Pulse oximetry (SpO₂)
• Capnography (CO₂ monitoring)
• Non-invasive and invasive blood pressure monitoring
• Temperature monitoring
• …and more

While this module may feel like a playground for technically inclined participants, even those without a technical background will find themselves drawn in — we make the machines and monitors both accessible and fascinating.

All of this is, of course, supplemented with heavy-duty hands-on sessions using anaesthesia machines, vaporizers, and a full range of monitoring equipment, ensuring a confident transition from theory to clinical application.

You're now truly on the path to becoming an Anaesthesia-Jedi — time to experience the Force. ✨ This module is dedicated to the queen of them all: anaesthesia-relevant physiology.

No anaesthetist can truly excel without a solid understanding of:

• Cardiovascular physiology
• Respiratory physiology, including ventilation principles and the use of ventilators
• Fluid therapy and its clinical application

Some participants find physiology intuitive, others find it more challenging — but regardless of your background, we meet you where you are and guide you through it. Our goal is to make complex concepts clear, practical, and directly applicable in the clinical setting.

Now that you've become a Jedi, it's time to take on the real-world challenges — specific patient populations. This module equips you with the tools and confidence to safely approach and manage high-risk and complex cases.

We cover anaesthetic considerations for patients with:

• Hepatic disease
• Renal dysfunction
• Endocrine disorders — including diabetes mellitus, Cushing's disease, Addison's disease, insulinoma, and thyroid imbalances
• Neurological conditions, with a focus on intracranial pressure management and epilepsy
• And the cherry on top: cardiac patients, including common heart diseases relevant to anaesthesia

Each topic is supported by a mini online pre-learning series, including reviews of relevant physiology and anatomy, ensuring you arrive well-prepared and can make the most of the in-person sessions.

The module is highly interactive, with extensive group work and case-based discussions to help you apply what you've learned in realistic clinical scenarios.

Your black belt is almost within reach — but a few more key patients and skills demand your attention before Module 6.

In this module, we expand your anaesthetic competence across a broader spectrum of species and special situations. While VASTA focuses primarily on small animals, becoming a well-rounded anaesthetist means having a solid grasp of other patient types too.

We cover the essentials of anaesthesia for:

• Geriatric and paediatric patients
• Small mammals
• Reptiles, birds and fish
• Ruminants
• Equine patients

In addition, we introduce a critical skill for any anaesthetist: CPR. You'll learn updated CPR protocols and emergency response techniques — because every black belt knows how to handle a crisis.

To further enhance your clinical toolbox, the module includes:

• Local anaesthetic pharmacology
• Basic local and regional anaesthesia techniques

The one to rule them all. You've become a skilled anaesthetist — but to truly elevate your clinical impact, you must master pain management. This final module is fully dedicated to pain and analgesia, empowering you to not only provide safe anaesthesia but also to ensure your patients wake up in comfort.

In this module, you will learn to:

• Understand the physiology of pain — nociception, sensitisation, and pain pathways
• Differentiate and address acute vs. chronic pain in veterinary patients
• Apply validated pain scoring systems, including the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale, CMPS-Feline, and species-specific pain scales
• Build multimodal analgesic protocols, based on current recommendations from IVAPM and the WSAVA Global Pain Council
• Make evidence-based choices in analgesic pharmacology, including opioids, NSAIDs, alpha-2 agonists, local anaesthetics, and adjuncts (e.g. ketamine, gabapentin, lidocaine CRIs)
• Incorporate non-pharmacological interventions