Anesthesia/
Pain Management
Brochure
Coming Soon!

Download our
AERA Brochure

Having a beloved animal family member undergo a procedure that requires anesthesia can be difficult and scary. Having a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist to assess risk, develop a protocol, monitor vital signs, and ensure a stress- and pain-free experience can greatly improve a pet owner’s peace of mind. Dr. Love will be available for owner consultations prior to the anesthetic event so that your questions can be answered and any concerns addressed.

Depending on the requirements of the patient and procedure, Dr. Love will supervise or directly manage the anesthetic event from pre-procedural evaluation to follow-up pain management. As a veterinary anesthesiologist, Dr. Love is primarily a patient advocate; she is focused on making the entire experience as peaceful and gentle as possible – both for you and your pet.

Animal pain has received increasing attention in recent years. As veterinary care advances and companion animals live longer, veterinarians and owners are more aware that chronic pain conditions can limit companion animals’ activity, quality of life, and potentially, lifespan. With an empathetic and compassionate approach, Dr. Love can develop individualized pain management plans for the specific needs of each patient and relieve the suffering of companion animals with both acute and chronically painful conditions.

Services available through the
Anesthesia & Pain Management Service:

• Protocol development, monitoring and supportive care
  Levels I, II, III & IV
• Perioperative Crisis Intervention
  (Includes complications such as difficult airways, hypoxemia, intraoperative hemorrhage, hypo- and hypertension, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, etc.)
• Perioperative/acute pain management
  Interventional local and regional anesthetic techniques
  ° Epidural injections
  ° Epidural catheter placement
  ° Intravenous regional anesthesia
  ° Specific peripheral nerve blocks
  ° Wound/perineural catheter
     construction & placement
  ° Parenteral and enteral analgesic
     management/consultation
• Chronic pain management consultations

Pain in animals

Lydia Love, DVM,
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists
Director of Anesthesia Service and Pain Management Clinic

Originally from the southeast, Dr. Love graduated from the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine. After completing a rotating small animal internship in San Diego, Dr. Love worked for The Humane Society of the United States as a Field Services Veterinarian. As Director of Appalachian Services, Dr. Love organized and conducted free vaccination and sterilization clinics from southeastern Ohio to southern Georgia in underserved and rural communities. This work led Dr. Love to develop a passionate interest in anesthesia, pain management, and complete peri-operative care. After five years in practice, Dr. Love returned to the University of Tennessee to complete a residency in veterinary anesthesia. She obtained board certification from the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists and, with an eye towards sharing her enthusiasm and concern for high quality anesthetic and pain management care for companion animals, has now joined Animal Emergency & Referral Associates.

She is one of less than 150 board-certified anesthesiologists practicing in this country, most of whom practice at universities and teaching hospitals.

Dr. Love will be contributing regularly to our blog to help pet owners understand more about anesthesia and pain management.