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It is normal for pet owners to be concerned when veterinarians recommend a procedure that requires anesthesia. Most practices use general anesthesia almost everyday. While anesthesia is not totally risk-free, the risk has been greatly reduced by the availability of pre-anesthetic testing, improved anesthetic drugs, state-of-the-art monitoring equipment, and increased veterinary expertise. Today, pets of all ages are acceptable candidates for anesthesia.
Anesthesia brings about a state of unconsciousness so the patient is not aware of what is going on. It blocks pain sensation all over the body. Anesthesia brings about muscle relaxation and suppresses reflex movements and anesthesia also minimizes anxiety and stress for your pet. Anesthesia is required for most surgeries, dental work, and some X-Rays.
The depth and type of anesthesia required for each procedure will vary depending on the procedure being performed and the age and health of your pet. There are different types of anesthetic drugs, including drugs that are injected into a vein or muscle and drugs that are inhaled as a gas. Longer, more painful surgeries require deeper anesthesia, while minor surgeries, routine dental work or some X-rays may only require light anesthesia.
In order to minimize the risk of anesthesia, veterinarians:
- review your pet’s medical history,
- do a physical exam,
- perform lab tests that measure internal organ functioning,
- monitor your pet’s vital signs during anesthesia to recognize and respond to any problems,
- Monitor your pet postoperatively until it is awake from the anesthetic.
You, the pet owner can minimize the risk of anesthesia by following the veterinarian’s pre-surgery feeding instructions. It is very important that your pet have an empty stomach during the procedure to decrease the risk of vomiting and aspiration of food into the lungs. After surgery the pet owner needs to:
- carefully follow the veterinarian’s discharge instruction,
- confine your pet in a warm, dry, quite area as it may be unsteady on its feet,
- do not leave your pet alone wit small children or other pets, as temporary behavioral changes are common for the first few days,
- Contact your veterinarian if your pet isn’t heating or drinking or has not fully recovered after 48 hours of the procedure.
General anesthesia has a wide range of applications in veterinary medicine. It is performed on thousands of animals everyday. Advances in veterinary medicine have greatly reduced the risk involved. The danger in choosing not to perform a necessary procedure far outweighs the risk associated with anesthesia.
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