Our clinic protocols involve a ‘best practice’ approach to maximise patient safety:
Every pet is examined by an experienced Veterinarian prior to anaesthesia to ensure they are in good health. Any concerns will be discussed with you and if indicated, the Vet may recommend a preanaesthetic blood test (these are available to all pets at their owners’ request and can be run in-house on the day of surgery.)
Every patient is administered a premedication to reduce their stress and provide pain relief which results in a safer, more stable anaesthetic and a comfortable pain-free recovery.
An intravenous catheter is placed prior to anaesthesia. This allows instantaneous intravenous access for drugs in the event of an anaesthetic emergency, and also the administration of intravenous fluids.
Intravenous fluids are administered throughout surgery to maintain your pet’s blood pressure and to help them recover more quickly from their anaesthesia.
Every anaesthetized patient has a fully qualified and experienced Veterinary nurse constantly monitoring and recording the anaesthetic from induction to full recovery.
The safest anaesthetic agents are chosen every time, whether the patient is deemed ‘high risk’ or not.
We use advanced monitoring equipment – including blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, expired carbon dioxide levels and constant core body temperature monitoring.
All animals receive temperature support either via a thermostatically controlled heat mat or Bair Hugger (warm air blanket) to prevent hypothermia during anaesthesia. We have a state-of-the-art heated surgery table, to ensure our patients' body temperature is maintained. This is especially important for longer surgeries or for very small patients and exotics, who are much more prone to hypothermia during anaesthesia.
Staff are highly trained in the special anaesthetic requirements of ‘brachycephalic’ breeds (e.g. Pugs, Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, French Bulldogs). General anaesthesia in these pets is higher risk because of the special anatomy of their airways. Our Veterinarians have undertaken additional training in the safe anaesthesia of Brachycephalic breeds, and so they know what precautions to take to maximise the safety of their general anaesthetic and they also know what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency.
