Primary Care
Specialty Care
At VCA South Shore (Weymouth) Animal Hospital we offer the highest standard of patient monitoring under anesthesia. We are proud to have a board certified veterinary anesthesiologist on staff, as well as veterinary technician specialists in anesthesia and analgesia.
The word anesthesia comes from the Greek word meaning "lack of sensation". Anesthesia is accomplished by administering drugs that depress the nervous system. With general anesthesia, the patient is made unconscious for a period of time using a variety of drugs that also provide muscle relaxation and decrease pain sensation.
General anesthesia is usually done in conjunction with local anesthesia which involves numbing the nerves that go to certain areas of the body such as the limbs, the abdomen, or specific teeth.
There is always risk of an adverse reaction when using any anesthetic agent, no matter whether it is for a minor, short-term sedation or for a complete general anesthesia lasting several hours.
However, it is estimated that only ~1 in 100,000 animals will have some sort of reaction to an anesthetic agent. These reactions may range from mild swelling at the site of injection to a full-blown episode of anaphylactic shock or death. It’s important to note, many experts put the risk of anesthetic death as less than the risk of driving to and from the hospital to have the anesthetic procedure.
Another potential danger associated with anesthesia arises if a pet is not properly fasted prior to anesthesia. Anesthetized patients lose the normal reflex ability to swallow. During swallowing, the epiglottis, a cartilage flap that closes over the entrance to the windpipe or trachea, prevents food or water from entering the lungs. Under sedation and anesthesia, the epiglottis does not work normally and if there is food in the stomach, there is the potential that a pet can vomit.. This material can cause damage to the esophagus and nose, as well as the lungs, which is called aspiration pneumonia and can be fatal if severe. Other rare complications of anesthesia include organ system failure, such as kidney, liver or heart failure, visual impairment, clotting disorders, and seizures.
Dogs and cats that are considered brachycephalic (such as Bulldogs, French bulldogs, Pugs, Boxers, and Persian cats) are at an increased risk of complications during sedation and anesthesia due to their anatomy—they have very smooshed faces which makes it hard for them to breathe. This condition is called Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome and is characterized by smaller-than-normal tracheas, small and narrow nasal passages, and excessive and elongated tissue in their throats. Animals with Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome may need additional surgeries in an attempt to correct these abnormalities.
Every precaution is taken to minimize these risks during your pet's anesthesia. Our highly trained, dedicated team is here to support your pet during any anesthesia they receive.
Pre-surgical physical examination, preoperative blood and urine tests and radiographic examination may detect clinical and sub-clinical problems. Certain medical conditions will increase the risk of having anesthetic complications. These conditions include heart, liver or kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, anemia, dehydration, and certain infectious diseases such as heartworm disease. There may be additional diagnostics your veterinarian recommends to investigate these conditions, the results of these tests may help to direct your pet’s care while under sedation or anesthesia.
Blood tests will increase the chance of detecting a hidden problem that could prove to be life threatening. In older animals, chest radiographs are recommended to ensure there is no pre-existing issue in the heart or lungs that might increase the risk of an adverse reaction.
Immediate intravenous access for emergency drug administration is one of the most important factors in the successful treatment of cardiovascular failure in either the awake or the anesthetized patient. By placing an intravenous (IV) catheter and line before anesthesia, this lifeline is already in place, should the need arise. Anesthetics, pain medications, fluids, and emergency drugs can be administered through the IV line.
Intravenous fluids help maintain blood pressure in the anesthetized patient and will replace lost fluids (during surgery, fluids are lost through evaporation from body cavity surfaces, through bleeding, and in any tissues that are being removed). Some patients may benefit from continued fluid therapy and care after their procedure and may require overnight hospitalization; this depends on their current health status and the complexity of their visit.
Having your pet’s complete medical history available is a valuable tool for our team. Before anesthetizing your pet, it is helpful to know about any medications or supplements they have received in the past few weeks, any pre-existing medical conditions, any known drug reactions, the results of previous diagnostic tests, and whether your pet has undergone any anesthetic or surgical procedures in the past. Other useful information includes your pet's vaccine status and reproductive status (i.e. when was its last estrus or heat cycle).
It is important that you fully understand what will happen to your pet, and that you acknowledge that you understand the risks. Usually, the form will also include consent to perform surgery or other specified diagnostic testing and will provide an estimate of the expected costs of the procedures.
All anesthesia patients are weighed on admission and are given a thorough pre-anesthetic examination. This includes an examination of the chest, palpation of the abdomen, and assessment of the gums (checking for hydration status and evidence of good circulatory status). The medical history will be reviewed, and additional diagnostics such as blood or urine testing, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG) or x-rays of the chest or abdomen may be performed prior to administration of any anesthetic drugs.
In the great majority of cases, a technique called 'balanced anesthesia' is used. With balanced anesthesia, the patient receives a combination of pain medication and sedatives, followed by an induction agent that is administered by injection, and maintenance of the anesthetized state with an anesthetic gas mixed with oxygen. To ensure accurate delivery of the gas anesthetic, a breathing tube, called an endotracheal tube, is inserted into the windpipe or trachea. In addition to delivering the gas to the lungs, the endotracheal tube seals off the airway so that the patient does not accidentally aspirate fluids or other foreign material while s/he is unconscious and unable to swallow. Patients may also receive additional pain medication or local anesthetics to numb a portion of their body at that time. Continuous monitoring including ECG, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, temperature, and capnography are used throughout the anesthetic event. This allows for any abnormal parameters to be quickly recognized and addressed.
Once the procedure is over, the anesthetic gas is turned off and the patient is allowed to recover under supervision. When the swallowing-reflex has returned, the endotracheal tube is removed. Patients are continuously monitored until they are conscious, warm, and comfortable. Animals with severe Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome may need to recover with supplemental oxygen.
