Here are some recommended links that we feel provide useful information in caring for your pet.

Have you had your pet anesthetized at CMVC? If so then you know that we recommend several "pre-anesthetic" procedures to ensure the health of your pet and the safety of the procedure. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork, EKG and intravenous fluids are important safeguards. Sure that sounds good, but is pre-anesthetic testing really necessary?

Pre-anesthetic bloodwork evaluates liver and kidney function, blood clotting, anemia and dehydration. We frequently are able to detect and treat problems before they become serious. The most vivid example of this is a dog that was brought to Dr. Blair to be spayed. Following the procedure she continued to bleed. Discussion with the owner revealed that she had eaten rat poison 2 weeks before surgery. We were able to save her with blood transfusions and intensive therapy but pre-anesthetic testing would have probably revealed a prolonged blood clotting time and prevented the crisis.

Pre-anesthetic EKG evaluates the electrical activity of the heart and detects any abnormal beats. Many animals with severe heart disease have no symptoms at all. In fact, one of the most common signs of heart disease in cats is sudden death. Just last week Dr. Lynch was preparing to spay a 6-month-old kitten. She had been seen several times before for vaccinations and was always healthy. Her pre-anesthetic EKG revealed a severe heart condition. Dr. Lynch consulted with a cardiologist at Purdue University who evaluated her EKG and said she would most certainly die if anesthetized. The surgery was canceled and today she is doing well. Dr. Lynch is currently testing her to assess the severity of her heart disease and developing a treatment plan to keep her healthy.

Intravenous fluids serve several important roles during anesthesia. First, the fluids support the patient's blood pressure and maintain adequate oxygen levels in the tissues. Secondly, they help to clear the anesthetics from the patient's system more quickly resulting in a smooth, rapid recovery. Most importantly, if there is a crisis the IV catheter allows us to immediately administer lifesaving medications.

For now, we offer these procedures as options. If we had our preference, each patient would receive all 3 to ensure the highest degree of safety for each anesthetic procedure. Anesthesia does carry some inherent risks, but with proper pre-anesthetic testing and monitoring these risks can be virtually eliminated.