Survey on veterinary anaesthesia practices for computed tomography in small animal referral hospitals in the UK.

UK veterinary CT anaesthesia practices lack standardization; evidence-based guidelines needed urgently.

This survey examined anaesthesia practices for computed tomography (CT) scanning across 93 UK small animal referral veterinarians (49.2% response rate from 189 eligible practitioners). The study revealed significant variability in anaesthetic approaches and perioperative management. Notably, 65% of respondents lacked standard operating procedures (SOPs) for selecting general anaesthesia versus sedation, 71% lacked pre-contrast blood testing protocols, and 42% had no IVFT guidelines. Among those routinely using general anaesthesia, primary justifications included requirements for apnoea (51.6%), chest inflation requests (38.7%), and safety considerations during potential anaphylaxis (10.7%). Regarding contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) prevention, creatinine and urea were commonly measured (52.7%). Intravenous fluid therapy initiation and dosing strategies varied considerably, with 34.4% citing CI-AKI concerns as the primary indication for fluid administration. These findings highlight substantial inconsistency in evidence-based practice standardization across UK referral centres, despite recognized CI-AKI risks. The authors conclude that more rigorous research and consensus guidelines are essential to establish best-practice protocols for CT anaesthesia in veterinary medicine.

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