Anaesthesia and Pets

Anaesthesia is usually administered to animals when they need to undergo surgery or operation. The purpose of anaesthesia is to depress nerve function which can have different effects, depending on the type of anaesthesia. This allows them to relax, lose pain sensation and the veterinarian can operate without any movement of their patient.

  • Sedation without general anaesthesia is used for procedures which need more involvement. Most sedatives can be reversed.
  • General anaesthesia is used for surgeries that are viewed as major. Your pet is usually premedicated either intramuscularly or intravenously with a mixture of various liquids. Following this induction will take place, usually also intravenously. After induction, an endotracheal tube is placed in the animal so that a gas anaesthetic can be maintained.

Modern day anaesthesia is very safe, though all anaesthetic and surgical procedures come with some risk to the patient, albeit small.  This will be explained to you on admission and consented by you when completing the anaesthetic and surgery consent form.

It is extremely important that your pet is correctly fasted before undergoing anaesthesia. The swallowing reflex is lost when anaesthetic is administered. This means that if the pet vomits during anaesthesia or right after, it can be aspirated. Your pet may then suffer from aspiration pneumonia which is very dangerous.

There are a few precautions and measures you can take to reduce the risks involved with anaesthesia. Here is what you can do:

  • Ask your vet to perform presurgical tests and physical examination. Some conditions may increase the risks of anaesthesia and these can be detected preoperatively.
  • Blood tests allow your vet to ensure there is no pre-existing pathology which may induce reactions to anaesthetic.
  • Placing an intravenous line and catheter for emergency purposes before administering anaesthetic is important so that if a reaction had to occur, medication can be administered fast and directly.
  • Intravenous fluid therapy post-surgery increases the rate of recovery and decreases the chance of kidney failure.
  • Supply the full medical history of your pet to your veterinarian. This is useful for the operation preparation and process to be smoother.