Anesthesia is a total loss of consciousness and sensation accompanied by sufficient muscle relaxation and analgesia to allow surgery to be performed without pain or movement by the patient. 

Anesthesia For Your Pet
At Bells Corners Animal Hospital, the anesthesia protocol used is tailor-made to suit the individual pet.  Factors considered include: the pet’s age and medical history, the surgery being performed and results of any diagnostic tests performed.  Prior to undergoing anesthesia, a physical examination is performed on your pet.  To aid the veterinarians in designing an anesthetic protocol and to evaluate the safety of a general anesthetic for your pet, pre-operative blood test can be performed.  These tests will check your pet for signs of anemia, liver disease, kidney disease and abnormalities in their blood glucose and blood protein that would not otherwise be detected on a physical examination alone.  It will also be a baseline for future reference.  In human medicine, these tests are mandatory.  For dogs seven years of age and older and cats eight years of age and older, pre-operative bloodwork is mandatory.  In younger patients, pre-operative bloodwork is not mandatory but is highly recommended.

In some cases, the veterinarian may recommend additional tests including urinalysis, radiographs and ECG.  If any abnormalities are detected on the pre-operative tests, your veterinarian will discuss them with you.  In some cases, anesthesia can still be performed with modifications to some of the medications given.  In other cases, anesthesia may not be deemed safe at that time.  The procedure would be postponed and additional diagnostic tests may be required.

Once the physical exam is performed, pre-operative blood tests are run and if anesthesia is deemed safe for your pet, your veterinarian will proceed with the anesthetic.  Your pet will be given a premedication that usually includes a sedative and a pain killer.  An intravenous catheter is placed and intravenous (IV) fluids are started.  These fluids will maintain your pet’s blood pressure during the procedure, ensuring the kidneys are well perfused.  IV fluids will also replace any blood loss, provide venous access for medications and aid in speeding your pet’s recovery. 

After the IV is placed, your pet is given a fast acting anesthetic IV.  This will induce anesthesia and allow time for an endotracheal tube to be placed in the trachea.  Your pet can then be transferred to inhalant or gas anesthetic for maintenance.

Once transferred to gas anesthetic, your pet’s heart rate and pulse are assessed and they are connected to several monitors including an Apalert to detect breathing and a blood pressure monitor.  During the procedure, your pet’s breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and depth of anesthetic are constantly monitored by a registered veterinary technician.  For your pet’s comfort, they are placed on a heated water pad during surgery and their temperature is maintained using heated oat bags, hot water bottles and heated IV fluids.

Pain medications are also used to keep your pet comfortable.  The best way to treat pain is to prevent it with pre-emptive analgesia.  Analgesics, or pain killers, are given prior to surgery, during the procedure and are topped up after the procedure as needed.  Several combinations of drugs are used and may include opioids (morphine like drugs), Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and local anesthetics.  These drugs act in different ways on different pain pathways to ensure your pet is as comfortable as possible.   Depending on the procedure, pain medication may be sent home for your pet as well.  If your pet is not dispensed any further medication but you feel they are uncomfortable after the procedure, do not hesitate to call your veterinarian to discuss the situation with them.  If you have any questions regarding anesthesia at our hospital, please contact us.