We understand that anesthesia can be a worry for our clients. Our doctors and veterinary technicians have extensive training in anesthesia and we use advanced monitoring equipment. The anesthetic protocol will be tailored to your individual pet’s needs. While anesthetized, all pets will have the undivided attention of one of our trained veterinary technicians. We monitor temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, pulse oximetry and end-tidal CO2. All patients are maintained on intravenous fluids to ensure adequate perfusion of vital organs such as the kidneys and intestinal tract. This allows for a speedy recovery from anesthesia and an early return home. All patients are wrapped in a dedicated patient warmer (appropriately named the Hot Dog Patient Warmer). Maintaining body temperature reduces the risk of infection during surgery, ensures the pet responds appropriately to anesthetic agents and allows for a quicker recovery from anesthesia. We also employ adjunctive analgesic techniques to provide superior pain relief and reduce further risks associated with anesthesia. These include dental nerve blocks, brachial plexus nerve blocks (for surgery of the forelimb) and epidural anesthesia (for hindlimb and abdominal procedures).
All patients should be fasted prior to anesthesia. That means no food after 10 pm the night before anesthesia, but they may have water. We will call you the day before to review the fasting instructions. In most cases, your pet will be admitted between 8 and 9 am and will be ready to go home later that afternoon.