Rancho Santa Fe Veterinary Hospital of Solana Beach

Safety First

When it comes to any anesthetic procedure for pets, be it a surgery or dental procedure, our veterinarians and team of technicians employ a strict “safety-first” anesthesia protocol.  From our standpoint, there is no such thing as a “routine” procedure, even for a spay or neuter.  Having a pet under anesthesia for any reason or any length of time carries a risk, and we use every feasible method to minimize that risk.

Here is a summarized list of safety precautions we use for all patients that go under anesthesia.

• Pre-anesthesia exam: Is the patient well enough for surgery?
• Pre-anesthetic bloodwork: Are there any indicators in the blood that could negatively affect a positive surgical outcome?
• Intubation for dogs and cats: Maintains an open unobstructed airway to the lungs.
• A nurse performing constant anesthesia monitoring: A combination of monitoring machines and a nurse who continually tracks blood pressure, heart rate and pulse EKG, respiration rate, carbon dioxide concentration, oxygen saturation, body temperature, palpebral reflexes, jaw tone, capillary refill time, and mucus membrane color.  Based on these readings and outcomes of the holistic set of readings, the nurse will adjust the amount of support and anesthesia provided to the patient.  Each of these monitored items is also manually recorded every 5 minutes.
• IV catheter and fluid support: Maintains blood pressure throughout the procedure, also provides access to a vein for emergency drugs.
• Heat support: Water blankets, a Bair Hugger (an advanced air convection heating system, used for humans and pets), and warm fluids are used to maintain a patient’s temperature.
• Recovery: A nurse is with the patients until they are well awake and recovered from anesthesia and doesn’t suffer from any complications such as hypothermia.

If you have any specific concerns related to your pet’s anesthetic procedure, do not hesitate to consult with our vets.