Hi, I worked as a vet tech for 11 yrs. We worked on everything form live stock to exotics even fish. Sometimes there is no time for anesthetic.
and sometimes the chance of it killing the animal is greater then the the pain caused by what needs to be done, and that is the reality behind the doors of a vet hospital. In an emergency situation a Dr will start working on the animal before the tech has a traich tube down its throat.