Some veterinary procedures need to be performed with your pet under anaesthesia (for example: dentistry, surgery, and some diagnostic imaging). Simply put, anaesthesia is a controlled unconsciousness, where your pets level of consciousness is controlled so they don’t feel pain and don’t move. We certainly do not want our pets to feel pain, wherever possible, and it’s important that they don’t move because precision is required during these procedures and movement could lead to complications. Most healthy pets- even senior pets do not have any problems with anaesthesia and in general, the risks are more closely related to the procedure being done and your pet’s general health than to the anaesthesia itself.

Before Anaesthesia

Prior to receiving anaesthesia your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your pet, review your pets medical history and discuss any risk factors. Your veterinarian may also perform blood tests on your pet to check for any indications of a developing medical problem or anaesthetic risk.

Prior to anaesthesia, your pet will likely be given a pre-anaesthetic sedative to reduce his or her stress and ease the process. An intravenous catheter is usually placed to allow administration of fluids and medications. The anaesthetic may be delivered by gas inhalation (using a gas anaesthesia machine), intravenous infusion or a combination of the two.

During Anaesthesia

While under anaesthesia, your pet will receive monitoring and care comparable to what you’d receive if you underwent anaesthesia. This may include intravenous fluids and/or medications to support your pet’s circulation and blood pressure; an endotracheal tube inserted into your pet’s trachea to deliver the anaesthetic gas and provide oxygen to your pets lungs; pulse oximetry to measure the oxygenation of your pet’s blood; blood pressure monitoring; temperature monitoring and warming blankets to prevent hypothermia; and electrocardiography (ECG) to monitor your pet’s heart.

After Anaesthesia

Once the procedure is done and it’s time for your pet to wake up from the anaesthesia, your pet will likely be placed in a quiet, semi-dark cage or kennel to recover. Pets are closely monitored during this time to make sure that they are recovering normally and that care is provided quickly if there are any problems. Pads and blankets are used to keep your pet warm during the recovery, but it is not uncommon to see a pet shivering while they recover; however, this does not necessarily mean that your pet is cold. Some pets may also vocalize (whine, bark or meow) during recovery. The endotracheal tube is removed when your pet is awake enough to swallow normally. Fluids and/or medications may be continued through recovery depending on your pet’s condition. Depending on the procedure and your pet’s medical condition, he or she may be sent home later in the day (once adequately recovered from anaesthesia) or he or she may need to remain in the clinic.

Bioscint Engineering supports the veterinary community by providing various anaesthetic machine produced by Burton’s Veterinary Equipment. Kindly get in touch with us directly for more information on our range and pricing.