At Forest Crossing Animal Hospital, your pet’s safety and well-being are our number one goal. While there’s always a small measure of risk involved with anesthesia, today’s protocols and monitoring make it as safe for pets as possible.
Our focus is on the best possible outcome for your pet, so we carefully examine each animal prior to sedation and anesthesia. We recommend pre-operative bloodwork to be sure your pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia. Anesthetic drugs and sedatives are individually selected for each pet based on the procedure, age, breed, and health status.
We will often utilize a type of testing called proBNP before we administer any sedation. This blood test screens for potential heart issues and can be invaluable in determining whether a patient is healthy enough for anesthesia or sedation. In many cases, a pet can have non-symptomatic heart problems that will unexpectedly arise when they are sedated or anesthetized, and this test helps us detect any signs of potential cardiac trouble before we administer any sedation or anesthesia.
If your pet is being sedated, he or she will stay awake or be in a light sleep but can be awakened if necessary. Should your pet require local anesthetic for a minor procedure, we will sometimes use a sedative or anti-anxiety medication in combination with the local to keep pets calm. Once a pet has been sedated, they are monitored at all times by a member of our staff.
An IV catheter is placed in every patient prior to induction of anesthesia, allowing us to administer warm IV fluids throughout the process. This helps maintain patient hydration, blood pressure, and ideal blood volume. The catheter also ensures safety by providing immediate IV access in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Patients are closely monitored under sedation or anesthesia by an experienced technician taking vital signs on a regular basis and utilizing advanced digital monitoring systems throughout every procedure. After the procedure is complete, a surgical technician remains with your pet until they are sufficiently awake and alert. From start to finish, the utmost attention will be paid to your pet while they are having sedation or anesthesia because we understand that it can be a stressful time for pet parents.
If you have questions about sedation, anesthesia or want to make an appointment or your pet, call us at 936-271-9300.