Safe Anesthesia & Monitoring Protocols
Many clients ask us which anesthesia protocol is the safest. We say it’s the one specifically tailored to the needs of your individual pet. We take everything we can into consideration before anesthetic procedures including age, weight, previous medical history, heart conditions and more.
Anesthesia
Your pets mean the world to us. We worry about their well-being just like you do. Our doctors take every precaution before giving your pet the “okay” for surgery. We schedule a pre-operative examination and laboratory testing no more than a month prior to any anesthetic procedure. Your veterinarian will discuss which laboratory tests are necessary for your pet’s surgery. Some pets require more extensive testing and may need to see a specialist, such as a cardiologist, before being put under general anesthesia your doctor will discuss all recommendations fully with you and explain the reasons behind them.
Monitoring During Anesthesia
Anesthetic monitoring in a veterinary hospital is similar to that in a human hospital. Our anesthesia monitoring protocol inlcudes the following:
A well-trained surgical technician: The most important monitor for any anesthesia. Our surgery technicians are trained to observe and monitor the patient during the entire procedure, from induction through recovery. Our technicians keep the doctors informed of the patient’s stuatus, adjust the anesthetic levels according to the patient’s vital signs and ensure that the patient remains stable throughout the procedure.
The Electrocardiogram, abbreviated as ECG, is also known as an EKG (from the German term). An ECG shows the rate and pattern of the heartbeat. It will detect and show abnormal heartbeats called arrhythmias. If an arrhythmia is detected, the surgical technician will inform the doctor and make appropriate changes in anesthesia and/or administer emergency medications.
The Heart Rate Monitor measures the number of heartbeats per minute. Heart rate must be maintained within a certain range. By monitoring heart rate, increases or decreases can be detected early and anesthetic adjustments made quickly, resulting in smoother anesthesia for our patients.
The Blood Pressure Monitor measures the systolic (when the heart contracts or pumps) and occasionally the diastolic (when the heart relaxes or refills) blood pressure.
The Respirometer measures the number breaths per minute.
The Core Body Temperature is monitored by inserting a temperature probe into the esophagus or rectum. Low or high body temperature can cause dangerous complications. Maintenance of normal body temperature is especially important in small or pediatric patients. Our surgical technicians regulate body temperature with a warm air circulating blanket, water heating blanket, warm IV fluids, and cozy blankets.
Pulse Oximetry is used to monitor the amount of oxygen in the patient’s blood (Sp02) and the pulse rate.
The End-tidal C02 Monitor is used in conjunction with a pulse oximeter. This device measure the amount of expired CO2 and tells us if the patient is receiving properly oxygenated.
Ask to see our surgical suite and monitoring equipment! We understand how important peace of mind is, and we want you to feel comfortable with any procedure.