Zoe
and her owner were greeted by our friendly reception staff. Our admitting technician
went over the details of her surgery with her owner. Optional pre-anesthetic testing
including lab work, ECG and microchipping were discussed. |
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An accurate weight is required to ensure that the proper dose of
medication and anesthetic is given. |
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|
Once a patient is admitted to the hospital, a blood
sample is obtained to run preanesthetic laboratory testing to screen the
organs that are involved in metabolizing the anesthetic drugs, and to
check a blood count to make sure that the patient is healthy enough for
surgery. |
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| Next, the patient is prepared for a transtelephonic ECG,
where the ECG is sent over the telephone to a cardiologist to read.
The cardiologist will advise us of any abnormalities that might make the
anesthetic a risk, and suggest further diagnostic procedures, if
necessary, prior to anesthesia. A report is usually back within 30
minutes of transmission. |
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| Once the laboratory and ECG
reports are back, the veterinarian will do a physical exam of the
patient again prior to administering the premedication. An
analgesic is also administered prior to the procedure. |
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|
Once the premedication has had a chance to relax the
patient, an intravenous catheter is placed into one of the veins in
either a front or a back leg. This catheter is used to administer
anesthetic and analgesic drugs, the intravenous fluids, and any
additional antibiotic or emergency drugs that might be required during
the patient's surgery. |
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| The intravenous anesthetic that best suits each
individual patient is then administered into the catheter. |
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| The larynx of
the patient is then frozen using an anesthetic spray. |
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| An endotracheal
tube is then gently placed into the windpipe of the patient. This
is used to administer anesthetic gas and oxygen to the patient during
the surgical procedure. |
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