In this episode of Equine Innovators, host Stephanie Church talks with Dr. Lori Bidwell—board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist and co-founder of East West Equine Sports Medicine—about how veterinarians use sedation to keep horses and handlers safe during procedures. Bidwell explains the difference between sedation and general anesthesia, offers examples of standing surgeries that once required full anesthesia, and shares how Dormosedan Gel has changed how owners manage stressful situations such as clipping or fireworks. She also offers practical tips on safety, storage, and monitoring, and describes recent innovations and where sedation practices are headed in the years to come.

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About the Researcher: 

Dr. Lori BidwellLori Bidwell, DVM, Dipl. ACVA, is a 2001 graduate of Michigan State University, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, and a certified veterinary acupuncturist. She did her internship at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, and completed her anesthesia residency at Michigan State University. She was the head of anesthesia at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital and Lexington Equine Surgery and Sports Medicine and has been on faculty at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2015 she co-founded East West Equine Sports Medicine, a sports medicine practice that covers veterinary services for hunter/jumper circuits on the West and East Coasts. Bidwell also consults in anesthesia for equine practices, teaches part of a study abroad program in Thailand and South Africa, and speaks and teaches nationally and internationally. Bidwell competes with her horses in the amateur owner jumper divisions.