Prior to any anesthetic procedures some decisions must be made. All patients undergo a cardio-vascular exam with emphasis on anesthesia safety and decisions about the safest anesthetic protocol are made based on the animal's

• age
• weight
• health
• exam findings
• other circumstances

After the exam a pre sedative is given that consists of:

• mild sedative
• drool reducer
• pain control

Next a blood sample is drawn and a pre-operative profile is run that checks for:

• kidney function
• diabetes
• anemia

This allows the doctors to find abnormalities that can not be found on physical examination.

For almost all anesthetic procedures an IV catheter is then placed to run fluids to the animal while it is under anesthesia. Fluids help keep the pet:

• hydrated
• replace electrolytes
• allows the pet to recover from the anesthesia faster and with less nausea

Anesthetic agents come in two main forms, injectable and inhalant which we usually use in combination. Injectables are given to animal prior to an inhalant so the animal can have a tube placed in their throat safely and comfortably. The anesthetics that we use here are the safest and most effective available.

During any anesthetic procedure a technician is constantly observing the pet to make sure that all vital signs are normal and that they are totally under anesthesia and therefore not feeling any pain. All vital signs are reported to the doctor during the procedure on a regular basis. Monitoring devices include:

• a pulse oximeter which monitors the heart rate and oxygen level in the blood
• a blood pressure cuff
• a stethoscope
• an ECG machine is also used to monitor the heart in some cases

During every anesthetic procedure the sole responsibility of the technician is to monitor the animal and stay with them until they are awake after the procedure.