Without the aid of modern anaesthetics, many surgical procedures would be made impossible. But, as any anaesthetist will tell you, general anaesthetics are not without their risks.

This page is intended to give an outline of the preparation you need to make before your pet has a general  anaesthetic at the Barrier Animal Care Clinic, together with the methods we use for reducing the inherent small risk  involved.

All animals will be weighed on admission so that drug amounts can be calculated accurately. Drugs administered will include a pre-med, which contains a sedative and usually a pain killer (analgesic).

The sedative reduces any anxiety the animal may have and reduces the amount of anaesthetic agents needed.

The painkiller provides pain relief for the procedure and usually the recovery period.
It is given before the pain/discomfort starts so therefore it has more effect.
After the painkiller has had time to act the animal, e.g. cat or dog, is then anaesthetised using modern drugs, such as propofol - a drug used to anaesthetise humans. After this has taken effect the patient is intubated to secure its airway. An anaesthetic circuit is then attached so anaesthetic gas (isoflurane) and oxygen can be administered along with monitoring equipment.

Many animals will have various areas of their coat hair clipped - depending on the procedure. Some will have just a small patch over the foreleg clipped for the injection site. Other animals will need a larger area clipped for intravenous catheters.

When your pet needs a surgical procedure an area significantly larger than the operation site will be clipped. A large area is necessary so that the operation site can be cleaned appropriately. The surgeon often has to hold the surgical wound wide open so there needs to be no risk of contamination from any stray hair.

The area will be gently scrubbed with an antiseptic preparation solution following clipping of the hair to skin level.

Once the animal is positioned in the operating room the area is again washed over and then scrubbed with the cleansing preparation. While the nurse performs this the vet is free to 'scrub up' before wearing a sterile operating gown and sterile gloves.

A final spray of antiseptic is applied before the surgeon covers the area with sterilised drapes and opens the sterilised instrument set.

Preparation for your pet's general anaesthetic:

There are a few simple preparations to make when your pet is going to have an anaesthetic or sedation:

Adult cats and dogs must not be allowed to eat from 8pm the night before admission and can have access to water until 8am the morning of admission

Young cats and dogs (under 6 months) must have a normal meal between 6-7am on the morning of admission

Please bring your pet to the clinic between 8-9am on the day of admission, unless instructed otherwise

A vet or qualified veterinary nurse will admit your pet

You will be asked to sign a consent form. Ensure that you know what your daytime telephone numbers will be, and that you leave them with us. Legally, the person who signs the consent form must be over 16 years of age.

You will be asked at admission whether you wish your pet to have a pre-sedation/general anaesthetic blood test. If you wish to have more information on this blood test before the day, please contact us.

You will also be asked at admission whether you wish your pet to have an identichip placed whilst under sedation/general anaesthetic. The cost of the identichip is £10 cheaper if performed at this time.

If you wish us to provide an estimate of the cost of the procedure, we will provide one for you. Remember - this is an estimate, not a quote.

If you wish us to perform any other procedure on the day, such as a dental scale and polish, please inform us at admission

Reducing anaesthetic risk:

As previously mentioned, general anaesthetics are not without an element of risk. But where a general anaesthetic is necessary, we can minimise the risk to your pet by careful examination beforehand, together with a knowledge of any existing conditions they may have and the results of any pre-anaesthetic blood testing. These allow us to tailor an anaesthetic regime that is most suitable for your pet.

Where abnormalities are known to exist, it is possible to give supportive therapy for the duration of the anaesthetic - for example, intravenous fluids for older pets or pets with known kidney insufficiency - and/or change the anaesthetics used to minimise stress on the abnormal organs. In the event that severe abnormalities are detected prior to the planned administration of an anaesthetic, the risk to the patient versus the benefit of the procedure must be weighed up. In this circumstance, no further action would be taken without lengthy consultation with the pet's owner.

During a general anaesthetic, each animal is carefully monitored and a detailed record is kept of administered anaesthetics and the patient's vital signs. We monitor breathing rate, Heart rate and concentration of oxygen in the blood via special monitors.

The information from these monitors allows us to determine the patient's level of anaesthesia, and make appropriate adjustments to the drugs being given where necessary.

If you have any further queries regarding any of the information we have presented here, or you are concerned about your pet having an anaesthetic, please contact the clinic and we can discuss any of these matters with you further.