Anesthesia

Anesthesia is the use of anesthetic agents to sedate and anesthetize an animal in order to perform a medical procedure or an invasive surgical procedure. Anesthesia will be used for all surgical procedures and some medical procedures when the pet may be uncomfortable or difficult to restrain safely. The type of anesthesia employed will depend on your pet's species, size, health status and the nature of the procedure to be performed.

Most frequently your pet will receive an intravenous injection of a combination of anesthetic agents ketamine and valium. This will be followed by passage of an endotracheal tube to allow maintenance on gas anesthesia and oxygen. Isoflurane is the gas anesthetic used in this hospital. Some animals will receive an intramuscular injection of the anesthetic telazol in place of the intravenous anesthetics.

During anesthesia, your pet's vital signs will be monitored for any abnormalities. Heart and respiratory monitors are routinely employed for surgical procedures.

A pre-anesthetic chemistry profile and ECG are recommended for all patients prior to anesthesia. The blood test is required for all pets five years of age or older.

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