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Library: Article
Title: New thoughts
on Anesthesia and Pain Control
Date: 6/1/07
Detail: Anesthesia and Pain Control
By far the single detail that most individuals are concerned
with regarding surgical procedures is anesthesia. We would
like to reassure you that the latest techniques are employed
at Veterinary Surgical Centers of the Delta and that, in most
cases, the same medications are used in your pet as would be
used in you at any human hospital. Most pets who are otherwise
healthy (ie. Eating and drinking normally, no vomiting, no diarrhea,
no coughing, no sneezing, and who are not on medications) will
be completely safe with our current anesthetic protocols. This
is true regardless of the age of the patient.
The approach we use is considered to be a ‘balanced’ protocol. This
means simply that we use a combination of drugs to achieve pain
relief, anti-inflammation, and anesthesia. Using a balanced
protocol allows us to use less of each individual drug, thus
allowing us to take advantage of the beneficial profiles of each,
while minimizing any type of detrimental side effect. Pre-surgical
administration of anti-anxiety drugs and narcotics is probably
the best example of such an approach.
Throughout the night, after surgery, your pet will be monitored
for heart rate, body temperature and breathing rate. These ‘vital
signs’ allow us to determine the need for warming or cooling
measures, adjustments to medical treatment, and the need for
re-administration of pain-relieving narcotics. Some of
the common side-effects of narcotics include constipation (may
be relieved with early administration of Metamucil or other fiber
supplement), sleepiness, or the opposite-excitement. Most
of these side-effects may be diminished by reducing or adjusting
the doses. Each individual pet is unique, and our staff
is maximally trained at recognizing animal behaviors, moods and
postures, to better tailor the appropriate dose for each circumstance.
If you have specific concerns, questions or other issues regarding
anesthesia and pain control, please do not hesitate to speak
with one of our doctors or trained surgical nurses to have these
addressed before proceeding with any procedure.
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