How to Ensure Safe Anaesthesia for Your Pet

/in /by

Preparation is Everything when it comes to Anaesthesia

Many people are still quite afraid when they’re advised their pet needs surgery. And it seems the concerns are less about the procedure than the general anaesthesia required to perform the surgery.

And in a way, they have a point. Vets take anaesthesia very seriously because, regarless of all the precautions they take to minimise risks to your pet, there’s no such thing as a “100%” guarantee of safety.

Thankfully over the last few decades there have been great improvements in the quality and safety of anaesthetics in both the human and animal medical fields. For the most part, the agents used are extremely safe and adverse reactions are rare.

The Gold Standard for veterinary Anaesthesia these days is Gaseous Anaesthesia – namely Isofluorane. This is an extremely safe anaesthetic for young and old pets alike. Much safer indeed than previously used intravenous anaesthesia.

3 Steps Vets take to Ensure Safe Anaesthesia

  1. Detailed patient History and Physical exmination
  2. Pre – Anaesthetic Blood testing and i.v. Fluids during the procedure
  3. Patient monitoring – during and after surgery

Your vet starts by taking a detailed history of your pet to include any medications your pet may be on, vaccination status, heartworm status (dogs), previous illnesses, results of any previous tests and so on.Pre-Anaesthetic Blood Testing for Dogs

Your pet is then given a physical exam to check for any external abnormalities or signs of illness.

So now we know how your pet checks out on the outside but that leaves us with no idea about what’s going on internally – and that’s a concern.

Your vet will ask for your consent to run a simple blood test to check the overall health of your pet’s main organs (namely liver & kidney) – the ones most likely to be adversely affected by the anaesthetic medications if damaged in any way.

Without knowledge of any “hidden” disease – your pet’s life can be at risk.

The $95* Test That can Save a Life

Recommending Pre – Anaesthetic Blood Testing is your vet providing “Best Practice Medicine” and should not to be confused with upselling or recommending an “unessesary” procedure simply to make more money.

Similarly – asking for your consent to provide important iv fluids through a drip to maintain your pet’s blood pressure and temperature and help flush the toxic anaesthetic by – products from the body after surgery is equally important. It also helps speed up and smooth out the recovery process.

Studies have shown that a small percentage of pets develop kidney dysfunction or failure 7 – 14 days after having general anaesthesia. This risk is reduced significantly by providing i.v. fluids during surgery.

Yes, both of these “procedures” can be declined – perhaps due to cost but at the same time you need to be aware of what you’re leaving on the table.

Many diseases such as kidney or liver disease do not show up externally until quite a bit of damage has already occurred and it’s these hidden problems that can put your pet at risk from anaesthesia.

This is why always recommend Pre – Anaesthetic blood testing for all our surgical patients including all desexings – especially those in their middle to senior years.

The Good News is – this simple and potentially life saving test is most often performed in the clinic’s own laboratory just prior to surgery. Results are then immediately available. This means you don’t need an extra trip to your vet.

* Fees may vary between clinics

Why Do I Have to Sign a Consent Form for Anaesthesia?

There are 2 reasons why you need to give your written consent for Anaesthesia.

It is a regulatory requirement to have your written consent for a procedure which involves general anaesthesia
To acknowledge you fully understand all associated risks of anaesthesia

What Precautions does a Vet take to Keep my Pet Safe under Anaesthesia?

A trained surgical assistant monitors your pet’s vital signs throughout the procedure and adjust anaesthetic volume as determined by these signs.This ensures your pet remains stable. In addition, any number of different special monitoring equipment is attached to your pet to measure vital statistics such as pulse, blood Oxygen levels and respiration.

Why is a Catheter inserted into the vein?

A catheter is always placed to enable an i.v.drip to be attached as well as provide quick access for the administration of any emergency drugs should they be needed.

How long does it take for my pet to Wake up and Recover after Anaesthesia?

This can vary from patient to patient and with the length and type of procedure performed.

Patients are strictly observed after surgery, especially until the time the breathing (endotracheal) tube can be safely removed. This marks the time your pet has regained their swallow reflex and can breathe safely again.

What happens if My Pet’s Blood test shows an Abnormal Result?

Depending on the results, your pet may require further diagnostic testing and treatment for the condition. This means surgery is delayed until such time your pet is stabilised and your vet deems it safe to proceed.

So next time you’re asked about “blood testing and fluid therapy” before your pet’s surgery, what will you decide?

Chemotherapy for Pets. The Great Divide

/in , /by

Chemotherapy for Pets. Is it Fair?

“It’s cruel to let them suffer like that” – “My friend had chemo and it’s horrible” – “What’s the point?” – “It’s wrong” – “Why would anyone put their pet through it?”

These are just some of the comments people make when the topic of Chemotherpay for Pets is raised and we certainly can’t blame them for thinking this way. It’s an opinion often based on what they know about people undergoing this serious treatment.

Most of us know at least someone who has been through Chemotherapy and it’s not an easy journey. Some people suffer terrible side effects and the impact on family and friends can be devastating.

However, Chemotherapy in pets differs in a number of ways.

1 – Aims and objectives.

The main goal of Human Chemotherapy is longevity which of course means years if not decades. Pets on the other hand have much shorter life spans than us and that’s reflected in how their treatment is managed. Naturally, all cancers are not the same. Some are more aggressive than others and some types can be managed quite well for a long time with the support of medications. Of course – there is never a cure.

For some pet owners, just gaining a few extra months – or even weeks to share with their beloved companion means a lot to them. And who are we to judge what’s important to any one individual. In many cases, it’s no different to managing a cat with progessive kidney failure or a dog with a deteriorating heart condition. All such diseases are eventually terminal yet we can slow down their progress and ameliorate their symptoms with medications.

2 – Awareness

People undergoing chemotherapy know they have cancer which in itself adds enormous emotional trauma.

Pets on the other hand do not know they’re terminally ill. They’re blissfully unaware of their situation, so don’t suffer the psychological stress that humans do.

3 – Treatment Methods

The third differentiator between how Cancer Treatment is managed in Pets vs Humans is the drug therapy itself.

The dose rates for chemotherapy drugs in pets are much lower than those used in humans. This means there are far less side effects. Pets also do not lose their hair during treatment as the medications generally only affect hair that is continually growing. That’s why you’d be hard pushed to recognise any physical or behavioural differences between a dog undergoing chemotherapy and any other dog on the street.

The medication is given either via a slow intravenous drip or orally using tablets. Patients are generally managed as “outpatients” which means they only need to be hospitalised for the times that the medication is administered and a few hours after treatment for observation. Treatment can often be weeks apart.

Regular blood and other tests as necessary are also conducted to ensure that the medications are working and not causing unecessary harm to healthy cells.

The only determiner in deciding whether to pursue the option of Chemotherapy or discontinue it, is “Quality of Life.” Provided your pet remains pain free and displays normal, healthy behaviours, chemotherapy remains a perfectly suitable treatment for the management of specific terminal diseases.

Many pet owners over the years have appreciated the extra time they were able to share with their pets thanks to Chemotherapy.

Me included.

Laser Therapy for Animals is Here

/in , /by

At last. Laser Therapy for Healing and Pain Management.

We’re proud to be able offer our clients a new drug free therapy to help heal wounds, manage pain and treat a variety of different conditions in all animals.

We now have a Class IV Laser imported from the U.S where vets over there are already using this new therapy with much success.

A Drug Free Alternative

One of the main reasons for investing in this new technology is the increasing demand from our clients to provide more drug – free treatment options for their pets.

So for those of you who have been looking at greener, non surgical and drug free alternatives, this may be for you.

Success Stories

Since we introduced Laser Therapy into our practice last year we have helped dozens of animals, Dogs, Cats and Horses regain some of their former mobility, heal their wounds and manage chronic pain from degenerative diseases such as arthritis.

So if you have a pet which you think may benefit from gentle Laser Therapy, please give us a call.

Cows don’t have Caesareans. Or do they?

/in , /by

As you can imagine, our days can be less than predictable, especially when emergencies crop up forcing us to reschedule some of our routine (non urgent) appointments.

Attending to farm animals having difficulties giving birth is just one of those times where we need to change our plans and send out a vet quickly.

We clearly remember – (on more than one occasion) where a client has exclaimed “Don’t be silly, Cows don’t have caesareans” …… because they simply didn’t believe this could really be the reason why their appointment had to be delayed.

The truth is – animals can have difficulties giving birth too. In the case of the humble cow, it too can produce a calf which is simply too large to fit through the pelvic canal. This can happen for a number of different reasons such as:

  • The cow hadn’t reached full maturity before falling pregnant
  • The size or breed of the bull might be inappropriate for the size of the cow or
  • The breed of cow may be predisposed to needing a caesarean

Cow caesareans are performed out in the field as is most of our large animal work. The operation is performed using a combination of an epidural and local anaesthetic so the cow is fully awake and standing up during the procedure. The incision is made on the flank (side) through which the calf is then delivered.

Cow caesarean. Night 013The best chance of a live cow and calf is to act quickly. Leaving a cow straining for too long is dangerous for her and for her unborn calf so the sooner a vet is called, the better the probability of a good outcome.

If left unattended the calf will die and start decomposing inside the body. The harmful toxins given off by bacteria produced by the dead calf will cause the cow to become seriously ill and eventually die.

Calving can occur at any time of day – or night. We’ve performed many of these procedures over the years often in the dead of night under the beams of car headlights and torches – most often in Wintery conditions and even in snow.

Ah – the life of a country vet!

But if after all that effort you see the newborn take its first wobbly steps and stumble towards mum for a clean and some warm milk – you know it’s all been worth it.

Surgery Admissions faster. Save time in the mornings

/in , /by

All our surgical admissions are routinely conducted in the mornings from 8.00am – 10.00am. By the time we complete the forms and work our way through the questions we need to ask, this could take around 15 minutes or so.

We appreciate that for most of you busy Mums and Dads that this is probably the most hectic and inconvenient part of the day. Getting to work, preparing the kids for school, making lunches and organising school drops. Not the best time at all really – then – the last thing you need is to be held up at the vets and be late for your other commitments.

So.

To make things a little easier we can offer you these options.

  1. You are most welcome to admit your pet the previous evening between 5.00pm and 8.00pm. Your pet will board comfortably for the night in a kennel with access to water. You may choose to feed your pet beforehand or we can supply a light meal. There is no additional charge for this service.
  2. You can download a copy of our standard admission forms for routine surgery, print off a copy and complete all details the night before admission and still drop off your pet in the morning. This at least speeds up the process in the morning.

P.S The benefits of evening admission is that your pet has some quiet time overnight to settle in and become familiar with the new environment. It also provides the staff with a little more “bonding time” so your pet is more relaxed before surgery.