Anesthesia and your pet

We understand that you may be concerned when you pet needs anesthesia.   Our hospital takes every precautionary step possible to reduce the risk associated with anesthesia.  

Prior to anesthesia our veterinary team will examine your pet.   This examination will include listening to the patient's heart and lungs as well as taking their temperature.  The next step is pre-anesthetic blood work.  Blood tests are crucial in creating a safe anesthetic protocol for your pet.  Though the risk of anesthesia can not be completely eliminated, blood tests help us to tailor anesthesia to you pet.   This specialized anesthesia protocol allows us to safely perform surgical procedures on senior patients as well.  

Once your pet is under anesthesia, heart rate and oxygen saturation monitors help us to ensure your pet is doing well.   

Anesthesia can cause a drop in body temperature.  For this reason, our high level of care continues after the surgical procedure.  Warm towels and warming bags help ensure your pet's body temperature is maintained while they awaken.  

We believe strongly that pets undergoing anesthesia should not be dismissed from the hospital before they are awake.   Our staff closely monitors our post-op patients and if any issues arise, hospitalized pets receive immediate medical care.  

If you remain apprehensive about anesthesia, please let our staff know and we will be happy to speak with you about your concerns.