Local anaesthetics are widely used in veterinary surgery to allow painful procedures to happen while an animal is conscious. This podcast is a brief summary of how this can be useful in day to day veterinary work. You can also read about the real life case, as in the photo above, which I wrote about in my recent regional newspaper column.
Please note that I am unable to answer veterinary questions in comments. If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health it is always better to contact your vet.