Most people are a little apprehensive to undergo anesthesia themselves, so it makes sense that you'd be nervous about having your pet put under anesthesia, too. Having the anesthesia administered by a vet you know and trust can help a lot, but you probably still have concerns and worries making you a bit uneasy. Here are some facts to help calm your nerves when your pet is in need of anesthesia prior to a procedure.
Your vet will make sure your pet is healthy enough first.
Sometimes owners worry that their pet may not be healthy enough to withstand the anesthesia. However, vets do their best to guard against this and generally won't anesthetize any animals they think aren't healthy enough to undergo treatment. Your vet will typically take blood work and examine your pet thoroughly a week or two prior to anesthesia for this purpose. If there's a reason why they're not healthy enough for anesthesia, you can work on improving that before they're put under.
Your pet's vital signs will be monitored.
Just as people are hooked up to heart rate monitors and IVs during anesthesia, so are pets. Your vet can monitor your pet's heart rate, lung function, and so forth while they are under. They will even have a breathing tube down the pet's trachea so they can administer oxygen and keep your pet breathing. There will be a pulse oximeter used to make sure they're getting enough oxygen to their tissues. All in all, anesthesia for pets is highly monitored and safe, and the monitoring allows the vets to respond quickly if anything doesn't go as expected.
Your pet will be observed before they're sent home.
You may be worried that your pet will be slow to wake up, that they'll vomit after the anesthesia, or that they'll have some sort of reaction while in your care post-surgery. But vets generally keep animals in the office for observation for at least a few hours, and sometimes longer, after anesthesia. The majority of reactions happen during this time. Your vet will only let your pet go home when they're confident that they are recovering well and will continue to do so.
Having your pet put under is not always easy. But you can rest assured that vets take steps before, during, and after the anesthesia in order to keep your pet safe and healthy.
Contact your veterinarian for more information about pet anesthesia.
Owning a dog is enjoyable for many people and these pets are a significant part of their family. An important aspect of dog ownership is to ensure the animal has regular veterinary care. We aren't veterinarians, but we do understand the importance of vet care for pets. We've interviewed many animal doctors to learn about veterinary care and we've written this blog to share our findings.
The posts on this site will outline the frequency of wellness visits and vaccinations for your pet. You'll also discover warning signs that indicate your pet is in distress and in need of immediate medical help. We hope the articles on this blog will answer the questions you have about veterinary care for your dog so your pet can stay healthy for a long time.