Pet Anesthesia & Monitoring in Oconomowoc, WI
For some procedures, your pet will need general anesthesia so they are unconscious and do not feel pain. Many pet owners worry about anesthesia, so here is exactly what we do.
Before Anesthesia
We can assure you that modern anesthesia is generally quite safe. To further lower any risk, we perform a physical examination and run blood work ahead of time to catch any underlying health issues. Most of our diagnostics and labwork are run in-house.
During the Procedure
We begin most general anesthetic procedures by administering a sedative to help the pet relax and decrease any anxiety and pain. Next, we give an intravenous drug to induce complete anesthesia, which allows us to place a breathing tube (endotracheal tube) into the trachea. To maintain the state of unconsciousness, we deliver a gas anesthetic in combination with oxygen through the breathing tube.
Every animal under general anesthesia has an intravenous catheter in place. This allows us to provide IV fluids during anesthetic procedures, which helps maintain blood pressure, hydration, and kidney health. An IV catheter also gives us immediate access to a vein so we can administer lifesaving drugs if an emergency arises.
Continuous Monitoring
We monitor our patients closely to keep them as safe as possible during procedures that require general anesthesia. A member of our technical team continually assesses your pet’s heart rate and rhythm using an EKG, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, anesthetic depth, temperature, and other vital signs to help minimize anesthetic risk.
After the Procedure
After any anesthetic procedure, your pet is still closely monitored. A member of our team continues to monitor your pet’s breathing and temperature during the entire recovery period.
Ask Us Anything
Please feel free to ask us about our patient monitoring protocol or any concerns you might have about your pet’s procedure. We’d be happy to discuss these matters in more detail before the day arrives.
Anesthesia is part of Pet Surgery, Pet Dentistry, and occasionally Pet Radiology and Imaging when a pet needs to stay completely still for an image.