ABSTRACT
Patients are typically sedated or anesthetized and placed in sternal or lateral recumbency. Sternal recumbency facilitates the hanging drop technique whereas lateral recumbency facilitates positioning of animals with fractures. Next, the cranial edges of the wings of the ilia are palpated. When using the hanging drop technique, the stylet is removed after penetrating the skin and placed on a sterile area. Then a few drops of solution are placed in the hub of the needle until a meniscus is formed. Once the tip of the needle is confirmed to be in the epidural space, the syringe is attached to the hub of the epidural needle and a slow injection of the analgesic agent is begun. Following injection the needle is withdrawn and the surgical site is placed ventrally in order to facilitate the movement of analgesic drug to the correct side of the spinal cord.
