Questions to ask before your pet has anesthesia

There is always an inherent risk to anesthesia. At the Pet Doctor, we do everything possible to assure that your pet will have a safe and comfortable procedure.

Q. Will my pet be examined the morning of surgery?
A. Your veterinarian at the Pet Doctor will give your pet a thorough physical examination the morning of the procedure to make sure your pet is healthy enough for the surgery and anesthesia. Remember, pets can’t tell us if they don’t feel well. A physical examination is our first defense against performing surgery on an animal that could be ill, have an infectious disease, a respiratory infection, a heart murmur or could be debilitated from parasites.

Q. Will pre-anesthetic blood work be done?
A. At the Pet Doctor, we recommend that all patients anesthetized will have blood work before any anesthesia. All pets – not just the old or sick – should have a basic pre-anesthetic blood test to reduce risk and increase safety. A healthy-appearing pet may be hiding symptoms of a disease or ailment and blood work can detect abnormalities that could affect anesthesia – even in pets younger than one year of age. We check a complete blood count (CBC), electrolytes, blood sugar, and liver and kidney values. If the blood work is normal, we can proceed with confidence knowing the anesthetic risk is minimized. These tests also provide a baseline for your pet if it becomes sick in the future.

Q. What kind of anesthesia will my pet receive?
A. No single anesthetic agent is best for all patients. Factors such as the patient’s age, breed, and health determine which anesthetic protocol is most ideal. At the Pet Doctor, we also use the pre-anesthetic examination, blood work, and the type of procedure to select the best anesthetic for each patient. All patients receiving a general anesthetic will have a breathing (endotracheal) tube placed in order to keep the airway open and allow for supplemental oxygen or gas anesthesia as needed.

Q. Are the surgical packs of instruments sterilized separately for each patient or is the same pack used for multiple surgeries?
A. Believe it or not, there are practices that use the same surgical pack on more than one patient. Some practices soak their instruments in a disinfectant solution rather than sterilize them in an autoclave. At the Pet Doctor, each surgical patient has an autoclave-steam-sterilized surgical pack.

Q. Does the surgeon use sterile surgical attire?
A. Although most assume that all surgeons don sterile gloves and wear a cap and mask for surgery, that is not the case. At the Pet Doctor the answer is yes. It does increase surgical costs to use surgical attire, but not doing so increases the risks of infection to the patient.

Q. Will my pet have an IV catheter in place before, during, and after anesthesia?
A. At the Pet Doctor, every patient anesthetized will have an IV (intravenous) catheter in place before, during and until your pet is well awake and recovered from the anesthesia. Intravenous catheters allow us to administer medications to your pet while keeping them more comfortable and give us instant access to a vein should an emergency arise during anesthesia – when every second counts. Fluids can also be administered through the catheter to your pet during anesthesia.

Q. What monitoring techniques will be used during the anesthesia?
A. At the Pet Doctor, your pet’s vital signs will be monitored by a trained veterinary technician and an electronic patient monitor throughout the entire procedure. The patient monitor will be attached to your pet and will continuously measure heart rate and ECG. The most important monitoring tool we have is a trained veterinary technician dedicated exclusively to your pet while anesthetized. This individual is very “hands on” and will be assessing your pet’s heart rate, respiratory rate, gum color, and depth of anesthesia with her hands, ears, and eyes—not just relying on the monitor. Vitals are charted on paper every few minutes.

Q. Is my pet’s body temperature monitored and controlled during and after anesthesia?
A. All pets, especially cats and smaller dogs, lose a lot of body heat while anesthetized. The resulting hypothermia can cause a life-threatening slowing of the heart and can also slow the anesthetic recovery. For this reason warmth should be provided and body temperature should be monitored regularly during and after anesthesia.

Q. How will pain be controlled for my pet?
A. There are significant differences in anesthesia and pain control techniques among veterinarians. Studies show that pain control is much more effective if begun ahead of the procedure. At the Pet Doctor, a specific combination of pre-medications selected for your pet will be administered in order to alleviate discomfort or stress and will also reduce the amount of anesthesia necessary for your pet – a huge safety benefit. Since anesthesia doesn’t control pain once the pet wakes up, we administer a variety of additional medications to relieve operative pain.

Q. Will I be given post-surgical instructions?
A. At the Pet Doctor, a doctor or technician will review detailed discharge instructions with you at dismissal. Most surgical patients are seen 10-14 days post-operatively at no cost to you in order to ensure a healthy surgical site and to address any concerns you might have.