Anesthesia and patient monitoring varies greatly among clinics. When you choose your veterinarian, be sure to question the types of anesthetics used and the protocols used for monitoring anesthesia.
Often the more expensive anesthetics which we commonly use are safer for your pet; however, anesthetics are also chosen for other reasons including their ability to control pain. Our clinic policies dictate that “pain control is not an option”. This means that we will do our best to ensure the comfort of your pet when potentially painful conditions or treatments are encountered in their care.
All of our anesthetized patients have an IV catheter placed prior to anesthesia for quick IV access in the event of an emergency. In many instances intravenous fluids will also be recommended for your pet while it is under anesthetic. The IV fluids help to maintain your pet’s hydration and blood pressure, and improve blood flow to vital organs such as the kidneys during anesthesia.
Our staff closely monitor your pet while it is under anesthesia, as well as during its recovery or while it is “waking up”. We also utilize modern monitoring equipment which can quickly tell us about any changes in the status of your pet while it is under anesthesia.
Our main concern is the health and safety of your pet.
Our Surgivet anesthetic monitors are devices that permit patient monitoring with adjustable alarm limits as well as visible and audible alarm signals. These monitors provide fast, reliable measurements of heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, respiration rate, oxygen saturation, carbon dioxide level, and electrocardiography.
