Many procedures that we perform on our patents require the use of sedatives or general anesthesia. These medications are necessary in order to allow us to complete complicated treatments and surgeries that would be otherwise painful or stressful for our patients in the fastest, least stressful and least painful way.
While there are some risks with anesthetics and sedatives, we are able to minimize those risks in several ways.
We recommend preanesthetic bloodwork in all of our patients. This helps to identify underlying problems such as kidney or liver problems which might complicate a patient’s ability to process the anesthetic, and helps us make an anesthetic plan which takes any problems into account.
We make an individualized anesthetic plan for each patient. Anesthesia is not a “one size fits all” kind of treatment. Our doctors are skilled at developing an anesthetic plan that keeps our patients safe and addresses pain management based on the procedure being performed.
While our patients are under anesthesia, a technical staff member is assigned to monitor them throughout the procedure and during recovery. The patient is intubated and maintained on an anesthetic machine. Their EKG, oxygen saturation levels, carbon dioxide levels and blood pressure levels are monitored throughout the procedure, and they are externally warmed with a forced air blanket to maintain their body temperature.
Pain management is accomplished with a multimodal approach which involves injectable pain medications, local blocks and laser therapy. Additional pain medications are often sent home.
If you have any concerns about anesthesia for your pet, please call us today at (262) 363-4557. We would be happy to speak with you and assuage any fears you may have.
