Why would my pet need Anesthesia?
In order to perform many procedures, it is often times in the pet's best interest that they are under anesthesia so that they may be treated the most effectively and safely. Anesthesia is routine for many procedures including, but not limited to:
- Spaying/Neutering
- Dental Cleanings
- Mass Removals
- Lancing/Draining Abcesses
- Enema Procedure
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Download our anesthesia handout page to the right or continue reading below for more information.
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All About Anesthesia...
Many families are concerned about the risks of anesthesia and these are valid concerns. Anesthetics are powerful drugs that affect several organ systems including the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver.
At Crookston & Prairie Pet Clinic we take several precautions to minimize the impact anesthetics have on our patients and reduce the risk of harmful reactions.
All patients are given a complete physical exam prior to surgery. Pre-anesthetic blood testing is done to evaluate organ function which cannot be assessed by the physical exam. These tests include evaluation of:
At Crookston & Prairie Pet Clinic we take several precautions to minimize the impact anesthetics have on our patients and reduce the risk of harmful reactions.
All patients are given a complete physical exam prior to surgery. Pre-anesthetic blood testing is done to evaluate organ function which cannot be assessed by the physical exam. These tests include evaluation of:
- Kidney Function
- Liver Function
- Blood Sugar
- Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride)
- Feline leukemia / Feline Immunodeficiency test for cats if that have not been tested (optional)
- Heartworm test for dogs (optional)
Combined medications are used to reduce the dosages required of any one medication. All patients are given fluids intravenously to support the circulatory system during anesthesia.
We offer an advanced monitoring system at our Crookston location that assesses the following areas:
We offer an advanced monitoring system at our Crookston location that assesses the following areas:
- ECG (electrocardiogram) - electrical activity in the heart
- Blood pressure - heart function and blood vessel tone
- Body temperature - circulation and heat loss
- Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels - lung and circulatory system function
- Respiratory rate - depth of anesthesia
We do pre-anesthetic blood testing and advanced monitoring for the same reasons your doctor would do testing and monitoring if you were undergoing anesthesia. Please remember: Advanced Monitoring is only available at our Crookston location.
The risks of anesthesia include, but are not limited to, kidney failure, brain injury, and death. While it is not possible to eliminate all of the risk associated with anesthesia, we make every effort to minimize the possibility of complications. We recommend elective procedures that require anesthesia because we strongly believe they enhance the length and quality of our patient's lives.