Anesthesia Safety & your Pet
If surgery is suggested, you can feel comfortable knowing that our hospital only administers anesthesia in the utmost safe and cautious manner.
Your pet’s safety and comfort are always our primary concerns whenever anesthesia is involved. Our veterinarians tailor the anesthetic procedure to fit the needs of each patient. All of our surgery patients have an IV catheter in place and receive intravenous fluids throughout the procedure and during the postoperative period. An IV catheter allows us to administer emergency medications quickly if needed. IV fluids help maintain normal blood pressure and keep your pet well hydrated. Your pet’s vital signs are monitored during general anesthesia and continuously throughout the surgical process including:
- Oxygen level in the blood
- ECG
- Heart rate
- Blood Pressure
- Respiratory rate
- Carbon dioxide level
- Temperature
- Pain
We use advanced pain management techniques in conjunction with anesthesia to make sure your pet is as comfortable as possible during the procedure and after they are discharged. Most surgery patients receive 2 or 3 different kinds of injectable pain medications during the procedure and go home with oral pain medication. We perform local anesthetic blocks any time an incision is made and we perform oral nerve blocks if teeth are removed during a dental procedure. We use constant rate IV infusions of pain medication for more severe pain. We also treat any surgical site with a therapeutic laser to reduce inflammation and speed up healing time. We tailor the pain management plan to the needs of the patient.
Pre-surgical blood work is recommended for all pets receiving general anesthesia, which provides a vital check on the health of a patient and determines whether they are an appropriate candidate for surgery. Testing allows us to diagnose and treat previously undetected medical problems and also can assist us in determining the appropriate anesthetic. Depending on the urgency of the condition, abnormalities are addressed, drug selections are modified and in some cases surgeries may be delayed or even canceled if the veterinarian deems necessary.
