For some procedures, your pet will need to be administered general anesthesia so that he or she will be unconscious and not feel pain. Many pet owners worry about their pets being administered general anesthesia. We can assure you that modern anesthesia is generally quite safe; to further lower any risk, we perform a physical examination and run blood work ahead of time to catch any underlying health issues. In addition, we follow a specific anesthetic protocol, including monitoring vital signs during the procedure, to ensure the safety of our patients.
We begin most general anesthetic procedures by administering a sedative to help the pet relax and decrease any anxiety and pain. We then administer an intravenous drug to provide complete anesthesia and place a breathing tube into the patient’s trachea (windpipe). To maintain the state of unconsciousness, we deliver a gas anesthetic in combination with oxygen through the breathing tube.
** We strongly recommend that a pet-parent is with your pet at both induction (going to sleep) and recovery (waking up) to reduce the stress of the procedure. This is a UNIQUE service we offer and advocate for our patients. It reduces anxiety (yours and the pet’s), reduces the medication needed to sedation, calms the heart rate and respiration rate, and facilitates a quick and organized process, all of which exponentially improve the safety of anesthesia.
We will keep close monitoring upon your pet until we are fully satisfied that he or she is ready to return home.
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about your pet receiving general anesthesia or about the procedure for which your pet is scheduled.
