When a pet requires surgery, often the owner's first concern is the idea of anesthesia. We as veterinarians are very sensitive to your apprehensions and concerns. Although, anesthetic protocols have become considerably safer and much easier to both administer , we are very respectful of these medications. We now have at our fingertips ultra-short anesthetics, totally reversible anesthetics, and very safe and effective gas anesthetics which have dramatically decreased the risk to your pet.

    Article is excerpted from the PetHealth.com library

    When thinking about your pet and anesthesia, remember that they are not people. It's important to separate the human experience of anesthesia from what an animal experiences. For instance, humans often awaken from general anesthesia feeling nauseous and with a thumping headache. Recovering pets, on the other hand, are rarely nauseous. And because veterinarians routinely administer pain medication (analgesia) as an important part of general-anesthetic protocol, they usually awake headache free.

    Again, while anesthesia is not totally without risk, the risk is mitigated by two factors: today's exceptionally safe and easily adjusted dosing of the anesthetic drugs and veterinarians experienced in how to anesthetize their patients - from small kittens to feline senior citizens. Also, our pets now have pre-anesthetic testing. This also will minimize the risk involved.

    While owners tend to think of all anesthesia as general anesthesia, veterinarians administer anesthetic drugs for other purposes, too. For instance, veterinarians routinely inject short- acting anesthetics to immobilize and relax a distressed patient. These may administered intramuscularly, subcutaneously, or intravenously or by inhalation through a mask. There are now a variety of anesthetics to choose from depending upon your pet's condition.

    General anesthesia has a number of benefits. Some pertain to the patient; others to the doctor. Anesthesia brings about a loss of consciousness in the patient so the patient has no awareness of what is going on and, upon awakening, has no memory of what happened. Anesthesia also blocks any sensation of pain. In addition, anesthesia brings about muscle relaxation and suppression of reflex movement in the patient.

    Anesthetic drugs are administered in one of two ways: they can be injected into a vein or muscle or inhaled as a gas. Scientists don't completely understand how anesthesia works. But they do know that once the drugs enter the bloodstream and travel to specific receptors in the brain, they induce a state of anesthesia. Moreover, once they're no longer needed, the drugs are quickly expelled from the cat's body. This speedy expulsion is critical because cats can have difficulty eliminating drugs from their bodies.

    A fundamental goal of anesthesia is to use neither more or less anesthetic than necessary to get the job done. The depth of anesthesia required to keep a pet pain free, relaxed, and unconscious depends on the type of procedure and the individual patient. More painful procedures, such as abdominal surgery (spaying or ovariohysterectomy for females) and orthopedic surgery, require deep anesthesia. On the other hand, teeth cleaning requires only light anesthesia. The age and health of a pet also influence anesthetic depth.

    It's very important to plan for general anesthesia. Planning includes a review by your pet's doctor of the patient's medical history as well as a physical examination. During this preliminary phase, you and your veterinarian (who is both the surgeon and anesthetist) work as a team. Your pet's doctor looks to you to provide as full a medical history as you can. Make sure you mention any previous difficulties with anesthesia. Depending on the age of your animal, your veterinarian should also recommend tests to check out your pet's liver, kidney, and heart functions. Knowing the health status enables you vet to put together the proper anesthetic protocol and be on the lookout for any unusual developments during anesthesia and recovery.