Anaesthesia and your pet
At Marshall and Pringle your pets care plan is individually tailored to meet their specific needs. This includes their anaesthetic. Specific testing, drugs and dosages are chosen based on your pets age, condition, medical history and procedures being carried out. We understand that your pet undergoing an anaesthetic can be a worrying time, please know your pet will be cared for like one of our own from when they are admitted to when they are back in your arms.
What should I expect?
We will talk through the admission and pre-anaesthetic consent form. It is important you fully understand the procedure your pet is having and any associated risks. This also gives us a chance to address any questions or concerns you may have.
Once your pet is admitted they will be weighed and given a thorough examination. We will listen to their chest, palpate their abdomen and look at their gums. We will check their medical history. We will discuss any recommended tests with you before carrying out their anaesthetic.
Your pet will be anaesthetised by one of our veterinarians and monitored continuously during their procedure by our experienced nurses.
Why is anaesthesia necessary?
If your pet needs to keep very still or needs to be unconscious for an uncomfortable or painful procedure, anaesthesia is necessary. We will discuss the best option for your pet’s procedure with you when planning your pets’ care.
What are the risks of anaesthesia?
There is always a risk when using any anaesthetic medication- either for sedation or general anaesthetic. There is a range of potential side effects, and it is estimated 1 in 100,000 animals will have some sort of reaction. Your pets’ particular risks will be thoroughly discussed prior to their admission to hospital and any concerns you have will be addressed.
How can we minimise the risks?
- A vet consult before a procedure is necessary to thoroughly check your pets’ physical fitness for anaesthesia.
- Fasting your pet: this lowers the risk of vomiting under anaesthetic which can cause pneumonia. Please follow fasting instructions given when booking a procedure or give our nurses a call to discuss your pets particular fasting requirements.
- Tests help us to understand any underlying health conditions that can’t be seen with an examination, these might be blood tests, urine tests or X-rays.
- Fluids in a drip (IV fluids) help your pets blood pressure and kidney function- we will discuss this with you when your pet is admitted to hospital.