Anesthesia Concerns for Your Pet

It is normal to experience some concern when your pet needs to have anesthesia. Our goal at Fondren Pet Care Center is to minimize the risks as much as possible. This starts with Dr. Fondren performing an exam on every patient, checking for any medical issues that could impact the procedure. We also do pre-anesthetic blood work for all our patients. This allows us to evaluate their organ function, their immune function, and clotting ability. If the blood work reveals any possible areas for concern the surgery will be postponed until those issues have been resolved. You can help us keep your pet as safe as possible by following all pre-op instructions and discussing any previous medical concerns with the technician or Doctor before your pet’s procedure.

While your pet is under anesthesia his vital signs will be monitored continuously with an EKG, a pulse oximeter, blood pressure and a temperature monitor. This allows us to detect any variations as soon as they occur, so that we can adjust your pet’s anesthesia accordingly. During all surgical procedures a Certified Veterinary Technician stays with your pet throughout the procedure to personally observe the vital signs, adding a human element to the high-tech monitoring equipment we use.

Because anesthesia can cause your pet’s blood pressure to drop we may administer IV fluids during the procedure to maintain normal pressure levels. Surgery and anesthesia also lower your pet’s body temperature, so we use a heated surgical table, and provide warm blankets during recovery. Another stress of surgery is post operative pain. We will design a pain relief protocol for each pet and procedure to ensure your pet wakes up comfortable.

If you have any questions about your pet’s procedure, or the anesthetics used, feel free to address them with one of our staff members. We understand how much you love your pet, and will do all we can to alleviate any concerns.