Anaesthesia is an essential component of surgery and something we use almost every day. Understandably, however, it’s something that pet owners often worry about – what are we doing to make sure anaesthesia is as safe as we can make it for all pets under our care?
All anaesthetics are monitored by either a qualified Registered Veterinary Nurse or Veterinary Surgeon – you have a right to know who will be involved with any procedure your pet undergoes. With us you can be assured that this will be carried out by a professional.
Not all anaesthetic gases are identical – when your pet comes in for a procedure it’s worth knowing what will be used – a more modern agent is less soluble in body tissues so more of the drug stays in the blood and is transported to the brain (where it induces anaesthesia). This gives a faster induction, more stability, rapid control over the depth of anaesthesia when changes are required and quicker recovery.
We only use the most modern gas option for all procedures, routine or otherwise, and will always strive to do so as advancements are made. As an independent practice we are able to make this choice in order to put animal welfare before profitability.
Our primary anaesthetic circuit (the Humphrey ADE-Circle) and specially calibrated vaporizer provides smooth anaesthesia whilst allowing us to re-cycle warm breathing air in larger animals to keep their body temperature stable during surgery.
We also use capnography to monitor patients during anaesthesia – this allows us to measure the levels of carbon dioxide which your pet is breathing out. This brings a number of safety benefits such as instant awareness of any airway obstruction or hyperventilation.
If you have any questions about what’s involved with anaesthesia or what you need to do before or after bringing your pet in for a procedure please feel free to send us an email or give us a call.