General anesthesia is used for surgical procedures requiring a general anesthetic; some examples are, abdominal surgery, dental procedures, and orthopedic surgeries. The term general anesthesia means maintaining a patient at a surgical plane using an inhalant gas. There are always risks when a pet needs to have an anesthetic. There are many ways we ensure general anesthesia is safe for your pet.

1. Pre anesthetic blood work: Allows us to have a look at how your pet’s organs are functioning. If there are any alerts, we will be able to tailor the anesthetic protocol to your pet’s individual needs.
2. Intravenous fluids: Maintain your pet’s blood pressure throughout surgery. They also provide for a quicker recovery from anesthesia as they ‘flush’ the anesthetic/drugs from the body. Intravenous fluids also provide us with direct access to a vein allowing us to intervene quickly with medications if needed.
3. Patient monitoring: Our patients are monitored by veterinary technicians who monitor your pets vital signs (temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure) throughout the procedure.