Anesthesia

We believe in making anesthesia As Safe As Possible. Anesthesia, patient monitoring, and pricing varies greatly among veterinary hospitals.

For the safety of your pet and your peace of mind, we recommend preanesthetic testing for all patients and require it for pets 7 years of age and older. Pre anesthetic blood testing helps us to evaluate your pet's ability to metabolize the anesthetic agents and avoid or minimize the risks of anesthesia. If tests are abnormal, we can modify the anesthetic procedure to safeguard your pet's health. In addition, these tests often detect hidden illness and allow us to treat it at an early stage. They also provide a baseline for future reference.

Pre anesthetic pain medication is given to all patients. Treating pain before it occurs allows us to use lower doses of anesthesia and lower doses of pain medication after surgery. Remember, "Pain is Inhumane".

Surgical Fluids are important for several reasons. They help maintain blood pressure during the procedure which helps protect the kidneys and other organs from damage. They also provide a lifeline for administering emergency drugs if complications do arise. All of our patients receive some type of fluids during surgery. The type and quantity varies with the patient's age, weight, and type of surgery.

All patients receive electronic monitoring during their anesthesia. The monitors display various vital signs and give us early warning if a problem is developing. It's better to prevent respiratory arrest than it is to do CPR after they have quit breathing.

All anesthetic agents are not created equal. Unfortunately, the safer anesthetic agents are often the most expensive. By using smaller doses of several drugs, we can minimize the risk of an overdose or adverse reaction. Some anesthetics can be quickly reversed, and the gas anesthetics are quickly metabolized by the body when the gas is turned off.

It is very important to have a trained veterinary assistant to provide human monitoring during anesthesia. Machines cannot replace the caring and compassion of a human touch. Your pet will be monitored by a trained assistant from the time he or she is induced to the time he or she wakes up.

When choosing a veterinary hospital, be sure to ask about the types of anesthesia used and the protocols for monitoring anesthesia.