Individualized Anesthesia Protocols
Although modern anesthesia is very safe, there is still some element of risk involved. The level of risk is different for each individual animal depending on the procedure being performed and the overall health and condition of the pet.
While some pre-existing conditions cannot be changed to decrease risk during anesthesia, the risk can be greatly affected by the anesthetic drugs used and the monitoring of the patient.
We monitor all of our anesthetized patient’s heart rate and rhythm, respiration rate, oxygen saturation and blood pressure. In addition, our choice of anesthetic drugs is based on each individual’s needs. This makes anesthesia as safe as possible and with the least possible side effects for your pet.
Anesthesia Monitoring
Before any animal receives anesthesia, we perform a thorough physical exam to evaluate your pet’s overall health. In addition, we offer a pre-anesthetic blood workup to get a “sneak peak” at your pet’s internal organs and how they are functioning. Lastly, monitoring your pet while they are under anesthesia is of utmost importance. \
Your pet is monitored in several ways: ECG (shows heart rate and rhythm), respiration rate, SPO2 to determine if your pet is oxygenating properly, and temperature. All of these aspects are important and alert us to problems before they become serious.
Why is monitoring blood pressure important to you and your pet?
It is very typical for an animal undergoing anesthesia to have a drop in blood pressure. A slight drop in blood pressure is typical and not a problem unless the pressure drops too low.
A drop in blood pressure can indicate numerous things — anything from the animal being “too deep” under anesthesia or being cold to more serious complications. Several of these things are easily corrected whereas others require more involved intervention. Some of the ways we correct low blood pressure include making sure the animal is warm enough, decreasing the amount of anesthetic gas, and by administering IV fluids.
By monitoring blood pressure, we can evaluate your pet and respond accordingly to any type of complication.
Why is low blood pressure a problem?
If an animal’s blood pressure drops too low, it means that not enough blood, and therefore insufficient oxygen, is getting to all of the organs. Lack of oxygen can result in damage to the animal’s organs. Although the damage might not be evident right away, over time it can take its toll on the overall health of your pet.
How is blood pressure monitored?
Measuring blood pressure is a safe and non-invasive technique that closely resembles how a human has their blood pressure taken.
A blood pressure cuff is placed on your pet’s leg and hooked up to the monitor. Every few minutes, the cuff automatically inflates and a reading is taken showing the systolic, diastolic, and mean (average) blood pressure along with the animal’s heart rate.
Is it important to measure blood pressure in situations other than anesthesia?
There are other occasions to measure blood pressure including geriatric wellness exams, animals in kidney failure and hyperthyroid animals to name a few. If measuring blood pressure is required in your animal’s health condition, it is simple and quick to do in an awake (non-anesthetized) animal.