Sedation and anesthesia are used for procedures that may may be painful or require that the patient lie perfectly still. A safe anesthetic requires that the people administering it be knowledgable about the drugs and gases they are using and that they are able to modify the approach based on the pet’s age and health.

Although general anesthetics are significantly safer than they have been in the past, there is still the remote chance of an anesthetic reaction. There are many ways to reduce the risk associated with anaesthesia including a thorough physical examination and blood work prior to anesthesia. Careful monitoring of the animal’s condition while under anesthetic and during the recovery phase are also key to safety of your pet. Intravenous fluids maintain the blood pressure and give IV access for emergency drugs should they be needed. See our separate page for a more detailed description of our anesthetic safety and monitoring procedures.

Some breeds of dogs have specific anesthetic needs and these are taken into account when planning their anesthetic.