Modern anaesthetics are very safe procedures in most animals however there is some risk of an adverse reaction with any anaesthetic. There are a number of things that can be done to reduce risk during an anaesthetic.

What you will need to do

• Take all food away from your pet the night before by approximately 10pm. Allow water overnight. Do not feed your pet on the morning of the anaesthetic.
• Bring your pet to the clinic between 8 and 9 am.
• Phone us after 2pm to check on your pets progress and arrange a pickup time.
• We are able to arrange special pickup and drop off times if necessary – just ask at reception.
• For safety reasons we require all dogs to be on a lead and cats secured in a cage when coming in to the clinic. Cat cages can be bought or borrowed ($50 refundable deposit) from the clinic.

How we maximize your pet’s safety during anaesthesia

• Pre anaesthetic physical examination
• A pre-anaesthetic medication is given – this is an injection that will relax your pet. It also reduces the amount of anaesthetic required.
• A trained nurse will monitor your pet throughout the anaesthetic unti they have completely recovered.
• Post operative pain is also monitored once recovered.
• We use respiratory and blood oxygen monitors throughout the procedure.
• We use isofluorane gas anaesthetic which is one of the safest modern anaesthetics.

Additional options to reduce risk during anaesthesia

Further ways  we can reduce risk during anaesthetics are:

Intravenous fluids – This will further reduce the chance of complications during or after the anaesthetic and make recovery smoother. We will place a catheter in your pets front leg and connect them to an infusion pump (the same as used in human hospitals) which will automatically deliver fluids throughout the procedure.

Pre anesthetic blood testing – highly recommended for pets 8 years or older.

It is an automated blood test that screens for some diseases that may not be apparent during a normal physical examination (eg. kidney disease and diabetes). These diseases can cause complications under anaesthetic and need to be treated prior to the anaesthetic. Blood is collected prior to the anaesthetic and treatment if necessary can be instituted.       

We aim to provide your pet with the highest levels of modern veterinary care to help keep your pet healthy and happy