Surgery

In Good Hands…

Vital Signs Monitoring

surgery anesthesia safety pain management dog cat family anesthesia monitoringElectronic monitoring starts when your pet is anesthetized and continues until he/she is completely awake. This includes continuous evaluation of heart rate, as well as monitoring the oxygenation of the blood with a pulse oximeter. In addition, we measure blood pressure, electrocardiogram (EKG) and end-total CO2, analyzing for carbon dioxide—a very sensitive and important parameter. All patients are cared for by trained Certified Veterinary Technicians. Just as importantly, every surgical patient recovers in our treatment/recovery area.

Intravenous (IV) Catheter Placement

Every patient undergoing anesthesia receives IV (intravenous fluids) during the procedures to ensure a safer experience. The IV fluids help in maintaining blood pressure during surgery and also helps improve recovery afterwards by ridding the body of anesthetic agents. The IV catheter also provides an immediate port for other drugs if needed.

Pain Management

Your pet’s comfort is very important to us and we take pet pain management seriously for all our patients. The correct approach to pet pain management varies according to your pet’s condition and treatment. Every surgical patient receives narcotic pain medication prior to their procedure. In addition we may administer local anesthetic blocks, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory injections, or constant rate infusions (CRI) of other medications to further control pain. In addition, all patients go home with post-surgical pain medication. Pain Management Guidelines

Pre-Anesthetic Blood Screening

At Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital, all patients undergoing an anesthetic procedure receive pre-anesthetic blood screening prior to the procedure. This screening is performed to help ensure a safe anesthetic experience. By discovering any underlying problems prior to surgery, the anesthetic protocol may be altered or the procedure cancelled. Blood panels evaluate parameters such as liver and kidney changes as well as red blood cell count and clotting tests. These tests can be performed the same day as the surgery because of sophisticated testing equipment in our lab. For our older patients, a more comprehensive panel of tests will be recommended prior to anesthesia. Blood Tests for Pets

Anesthesia

We use the safest anesthetic protocols for your pet. Our anesthetic machines are calibrated by certified anesthesia specialists to ensure they are working optimally. We customize our anesthetic protocols for each individual patient taking into account such factors as age, breed sensitivities and recent lab work. Anesthesia Safety

Patient Warming

During anesthetic and surgical procedures, your pet’s body temperature drops considerably without proper attention. At the very least, this results in prolonged recovery from anesthesia along with the discomfort of shivering and being very cold. At worst, a low body temperature during anesthetics can be life-threatening! Standard heating blankets and water bottles just aren’t enough. At Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital, we use a sophisticated warming system to keep our patients warm, comfortable and safe.

Related Services: