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Anaesthesia and surgical procedures
Most animals will require an anaesthetic and surgery at some point in their lives, even if it is only for neutering. Most owners find this a stressful time and worry about what will happen to their pet. We know that every case is different and we do not treat it just as a routine procedure and treat all animals as if they were our own.
All anaesthetics carry a risk whether in humans or animals. These risks are small and we endeavour to minimise them as far as possible. The risk increases to some degree as the patient ages and also if there is an underlying illness. However, the risk of not doing the anaesthetic and surgery can be greater than not doing it if the illness is life threatening.
We follow the following procedures to try and minimise the risks and make anaesthesia as safe as possible for your pet.
Pre operation health check
A full physical examination is designed to help pick up potential problems. The heart is checked for murmurs or irregular beat patterns. The lungs are checked for abnormal sounds and the abdomen palpated for abnormal lumps. The animal is weighed to help calculate the dose of anaesthetic required. Obesity increases the stresses on the heart.
Admission times
Surgical cases are generally admitted between 8.40am and 9.30am. You will have been previously advised to starve your pet from midnight the night before the operation and the nurse doing the admission will check the details with you. Water may be left down overnight before you bring your pet in to us. We do require your signature on a consent form before your pet is admitted to our kennels or cattery.
Pre-medication
The use of a “premed” is part of our way to increase the safety of anaesthesia. We use a sedative to help relax the patient and reduce stress. A painkilling injection is also given so that there is effective pain relief both during the operation and recovery stages. Pre-medication also helps to reduce the amount of anaesthetic required for the operation. We tailor your pet’s pre-medication needs according to his/her general fitness, temperament and, of course, the type of techniques being undertaken. Some dogs can be quite nervous when left and owners may then be asked to wait whilst the animal is sedated. If you wish to be with your dog when the sedative is given we will try and comply with your request.
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