How Safe is Pet Anesthesia?

At Murrieta Family Pet Hospital, we understand the worry of putting your pet under anesthesia. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff will often sit with our clients to answer any questions surrounding the safety of anesthesia. While there are always risks with anesthesia, the benefits often outweigh the risks. When a surgery is planned, our Veterinarians will work with our client to ensure your beloved pet is as healthy and prepared as possible for a smooth and successful procedure.

WHAT IS ANESTHESIA

Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs or other substances to prevent patients from feeling pain or being aware during surgery or other procedures. Anesthetics can be administered through injection, inhalation, topical lotion, spray, eye drops, or skin patch.

Our Veterinarians use anesthesia for certain procedures including but not limited to dental procedures, spaying and neutering, tumor / mass removals, orthopedic surgeries and more.

BEFORE SURGERY

The night prior to any anesthetic procedure, you’ll be instructed to fast your pet by removing access to food by 9pm. This will help limit the possibility of vomiting and potential aspiration during the procedure. On the day of the procedure, your pet will be given a thorough preoperative exam to ensure they are in good health. A preoperative blood panel to ensure optimal organ function prior to anesthetic induction will be done as well. In some cases, chest radiographs may be offered as an additional safety measure for our geriatric or heart patients.

DURING SURGERY

After the preoperative exam, and blood panel has been viewed by the Veterinarian. Once your pet has been anesthetized, your pets’ vitals will be monitored closely to ensure the anesthesia procedure is going well and no problems arise. Vitals are monitored all throughout the procedure and into recovery. Our trained technicians are equipped with state-of-the-art monitoring systems to assist them in keeping your pet safe while under anesthesia

AFTER SURGERY

When the procedure is completed, your pet will be moved to a recovery bed where he/she will be monitored by our team to ensure a smooth recovery. Once they are safely awake from the anesthesia, our staff will notify you and instruct you on a time in which your pet can go home. We will provide you with written discharge instructions on how to care for your pet after the procedure, including medication to keep them comfortable during the healing process. Sedation medication is also an option to go home for our more rambunctious patients to assist in recovery at home.

If you are looking for an animal hospital near Murrieta Ca, we welcome you to come visit us at Murrieta Family Pet Hospital. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are happy to help you with any and all of your pet’s health needs. Please call us at 951-595-7754 to inquire about any surgical procedures your pet may need.