Anesthetic Procedures & Risks
We use a combination of pre-anesthetic medications/injectable and/or inhalant anesthetics to achieve optimum levels of anesthesia that are safe for your pet.
For short procedures, an injectable anesthetic is given alone that produces a good plane of surgical anesthesia with a quick recovery.
For most procedures, your pet is anesthetized and then intubated (insertion of a tube into the trachea or wind pipe). This will ensure that your pet is able to receive oxygen at all times and prevents aspiration of any fluids into the lungs.
For procedures that require minimum sedation, an injectable anesthetic is given that produces a good plane of sedation with quick recovery. Anesthesia is maintained with a gas anesthetic, Sevoflurane, which is very safe and is not metabolized by the body. This allows us to have more control over anest hetic depth and it is less irritating to the airways. Another advantage to Sevoflurane is a quick induction using a mask verses using injectable anesthetics that require metabolism from the body.
Monitoring & Pain Management
Monitoring of patients during anesthesia is done in two ways. First, a veterinary nurse is with your pet continuously from beginning of anesthesia to recovery. Second, we have a computerized monitor that records heart rate, pulse rate, oxygen levels, respiration, ECG, core and rectal temperature.
Our clinic strongly believes in compassionate, quality, medical care for our patients. As a result, all surgery patients will receive pain management before, during and after surgery. Additionally, pain medication may be prescribed home. Additional information will be given at discharge. We hope this program will reduce any discomfort experienced and aid in a quicker recovery.
Intravenous Catheterization & Fluids
We highly recommend the placement of an IV catheter and use of IV fluids during all anesthetic procedures. This allows us to have quick, available access to the circulatory system (blood) in case of an unforeseen emergency. The fluids help provide support to the circulatory system and prevent dehydration, as well as aid in a quicker recovery from anesthesia.
Potential Surgical Complications
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Canine and Feline Spay
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Recurrent Heat
- Urinary Incontinence
- Weight Gain
- Suture Reactions
-
Canine and Feline Alter
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Testicular Swelling
- Suture Reaction (Canine Only)
-
Feline Declaw
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Limping/Lameness
- Regrowth of Nail
-
Tumor/Lump Removal
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Swelling and Drainage
- Suture Reaction
It is important for you to understand that there is always a risk of anesthetic and surgical complications anytime these procedures are performed. We strive to take the highest quality care of your pet and take all the added precautions you allow to avoid potential problems. Thank you for entrusting your pet to us.