| As pet owners, we are all concerned about the | | | | changing observations or expectations during |
| risks associated with anesthesia and surgery. | | | | the anesthetic period. Without a doubt, one |
| Anesthesia and surgery is a more exact | | | | of the most important keys to the safe |
| science than you might expect. The safety of | | | | conclusion of an anesthetic event is |
| general anesthesia is dependent upon the | | | | understanding patient status. What we learn |
| anesthetic agent, the equipment used, the | | | | during your pet's history and physical help |
| methods of patient monitoring, patient | | | | us identify the three greatest risk factors: |
| status, and the expertise of the people | | | | the presence of pre-existing illness, organ |
| involved. In fact, the safety of general | | | | dysfunction, or sensitivity on the part of an |
| anesthesia is dramatically improved by giving | | | | individual to a particular anesthetic agent. |
| adequate attention to each of these areas. | | | | In addition, we strongly recommend |
| | | | pre-surgical blood screens or profiles for |
| To the doctors and staff of Research Pet and | | | | all patients for all anesthetic procedures. |
| Bird Hospital, nothing is more important than | | | | In some cases, we are already aware of a |
| taking steps to maximize the safety of a | | | | pre-existing condition that should be |
| procedure. In fact, our core values demand | | | | monitored by these tests. In other cases, |
| that we use only the safest anesthetic | | | | these tests may reveal a hidden illness or |
| agents, precise delivery systems, intense | | | | problem that could increase the patient's |
| patient monitoring, and all measures | | | | anesthetic risk. Complications to anesthesia |
| available to improve the patient's status to | | | | are rare, but some are serious and may result |
| make the procedure a success. For us, it is a | | | | in patient death. Under no circumstances do |
| mission. Our focus and intensity does not | | | | we want to jeopardize your pet's health if we |
| wane until the patient is fully recovered and | | | | feel the risk is too high. |
| ready to go home. Anything else is a complete | | | | |
| failure in our minds and hearts. | | | | Pre-surgical testing decreases the overall |
| | | | risk of anesthesia and helps prevent |
| If you are planning to have your dog spayed, | | | | unexpected complications to anesthesia and |
| cat neutered, your bird's broken leg fixed, | | | | surgery. This helps to decrease the risk of |
| the mass in your ferret biopsied, or the | | | | anesthesia by identifying problems before the |
| teeth in your rabbit floated, these | | | | procedure, instead of finding out about them |
| procedures are performed under general | | | | afterwards. Typical tests are a complete |
| anesthesia. Your pet's safety is our greatest | | | | blood count (CBC) to identify hidden |
| concern. | | | | infection, anemia, potential bleeding |
| | | | problem, or immune suppression. It also |
| Our goal is to minimize the risks associated | | | | includes chemistry tests to avoid stumbling |
| with anesthesia. In order to make anesthesia | | | | into situations where inadequate organ |
| as safe as possible, we use some of the | | | | function impairs anesthetic elimination or |
| safest anesthetic agents available. The use | | | | increases the likelihood of complications. An |
| of precision vaporizers allows a constant and | | | | EKG is a simple way to screen patients for |
| exact amount of anesthetic to enter the | | | | heart disease and potentially life |
| patient and allow rapid adjustments of | | | | threatening heart rhythm abnormalities. The |
| anesthetic depth and rapid elimination of the | | | | testing is designed to complement the |
| anesthetic agent permitting quick recoveries. | | | | doctor's assessment of patient status and |
| Our anesthetic machines also deliver 100% | | | | risk of the anesthetic procedure. It is used |
| oxygen to provide adequate oxygen delivery to | | | | to uncover undetected illness or to monitor |
| the tissues. | | | | known problems. It provides valuable |
| | | | information that may prevent us from |
| Our surgical nurses are the best in the | | | | unnecessarily endangering our patient. The |
| business. They are hand picked to take on | | | | likelihood that the findings will impact our |
| this profound responsibility. They understand | | | | decision to perform a procedure in healthy |
| this tremendous responsibility and they take | | | | adults is small, but this does happen and |
| it very seriously. We charge them with caring | | | | there is no question those patients will be |
| for the most important animals on the planet, | | | | better off in the long run with that |
| your pet. To them, guiding your pet through | | | | information. In some cases, a decision is |
| the procedure to a successful conclusion is | | | | made to postpone the procedure and try to |
| their single most important task. We train | | | | resolve the problem first. In other words the |
| them to be the best. They are so good, our | | | | pre-surgical testing decreases the overall |
| doctors ask for their assistance on their own | | | | risk of anesthesia and helps prevent |
| pets. Our surgical nurses are intensely | | | | unexpected complications to anesthesia and |
| trained and care so much that often it may | | | | surgery. This type of testing is needed and |
| seem they are making too many | | | | is extremely important for any patient that |
| recommendations. The reason is simple, your | | | | will be anesthetized. |
| pet's safety is their responsibility and they | | | | |
| want every advantage. | | | | Intravenous catheters are always recommended |
| | | | to provide immediate access should emergency |
| If you have ever seen us working on your pet | | | | measures or other medications become suddenly |
| under anesthesia, you would notice all the | | | | necessary during the procedure. The |
| devices connected to your pet. We use state | | | | administration of intravenous fluids during |
| of the art monitoring equipment to provide up | | | | anesthesia is known to improve patient |
| to the second information about patient | | | | recovery and is a wonderful way to improve |
| status. Continuous cardiac and respiratory | | | | patient status. |
| monitoring is performed and adjustments in | | | | |
| anesthetic depth are based on objective | | | | If we made the recommendation for your pet to |
| measurements such as pulse rate, respiratory | | | | have something done with general anesthesia, |
| rate, % saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen | | | | you can be sure the benefits outweigh the |
| (pulse oximetry), blood pressure, and | | | | risks and that we will do everything possible |
| electrocardiographic tracings. These | | | | to bring about an uneventful recovery. |
| measurements are balanced along with our | | | | |
| assessments of patient status. | | | | Some of the agents we use for anesthesia are |
| | | | Sevoflurane and Isoflurane (anesthetic gases) |
| We take into account variables such as | | | | and Propofol (an intravenous induction agent |
| patient age, size, weight, and health as well | | | | to take the patient from awake to |
| as the nature and expected duration of the | | | | anesthesia). |
| procedure and make adjustments according to | | | | |