Pet Anesthesia Services at Fairway Knolls Veterinary Hospital

When you think of anesthesia for your pet, do you instinctively react with nervous anxiety? Pet owners associated anesthesia with life-or-death surgery, but this form of keeping your pet still and comfortable also makes good sense for less ambitious procedures. Here at Fairway Knolls Veterinary Hospital, our Bloomington veterinarian knows how to administer the perfect type and level of pet anesthesia to help your special friend experience the best possible medical outcome.

Anesthesia Helps to Ensure Painless, Successful Procedures

The most obvious benefit of anesthesia is to prevent a patient from feeling pain during an invasive procedure such as surgery. In that regard, anesthesia has made it possible to conduct lengthier, more complex operations than could ever have been attempted in the pre-anesthesia era. But another important benefit is the fact that your pet remains, not just unconscious, but also completely still during the entire procedure. In a delicate operation, even the slightest physical response or reflex reaction could cause serious damage either to your pet or to our veterinarian. Anesthesia therefore helps us ensure a more successful outcome for the procedure we're performing.

Why (and When) Do Pets Receive Anesthesia?

The two primary categories of pet anesthesia are local anesthesia and general anesthesia. A local anesthetic is generally delivered by injection into the area being treated. This technique can be useful for minor operations, especially if sedation is also administered to keep your pet relaxed. General anesthesia may be delivered intravenously or by inhaling the anesthetic; it causes total unconsciousness and makes the pet insensible to pain. We may recommend general anesthesia if your pet will be undergoing:

• Exploratory surgery or other internal surgery
• Spay or neuter surgery
• Fracture repair or other orthopedic surgery
• Teeth cleaning or other dental treatment

The Process of Anesthetizing Your Pet

Pet anesthesia, when properly administered, involves far more than simply giving your pet the necessary drugs. First we must determine exactly what kind, dosage, and duration of anesthesia your pet should receive. Every animal is unique, so our veterinarian, Dr. Tatro, will perform a pre-operative evaluation to check your pet's size, weight, age, and general health. The anesthesia is performed under strict control, with constant checking of blood oxygen, blood pressure, pulse rate, and other important data to make sure your pet is safe throughout the procedure.

Learn More From Our Bloomington Veterinarian

Anesthesia can be extraordinarily helpful to your pet when the right person is administering it -- and that person is our Bloomington veterinarian at Fairway Knolls Veterinary Hospital. Call (309) 663-1414 to learn more and schedule an evaluation for your pet!