By Rebecca Ball, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA
Whenever a pet has to undergo a surgical procedure, owners are often very concerned about how their pet will handle anesthesia and if it is safe. Unfortunately, some patients do not have a surgery that they need because of this fear. Although there are always risks associated with anesthesia, there are things we do to help keep your pet as safe as possible during any operation and to minimize these risks.
 |
| The Surgivet Advisor Monitor apexx-equipment.com |
At Circle City Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Hospital, all patients are continuously monitored
during surgery and anesthesia by both a special monitor and a person who is
always with the patient during the entire procedure, recording vital signs and
monitoring progress. Our surgical monitor records the patient’s heart
rate, respiratory rate, continuous ECG, end tidal carbon dioxide level, blood
pressure, and SpO2.
The heart rate tells us how fast your pet’s heart is
beating. The ECG tells us about the
electrical activity of the heart. A
normal ECG is pictured below.
The respiratory rate tells us how fast your pet is
breathing. The end tidal carbon dioxide
level tells us how well they are ventilating their lungs. If a pet is breathing too rapidly and shallow
during anesthesia, the end tidal carbon dioxide level will be low. If they are not breathing deeply enough,
their end tidal carbon dioxide level will be high. The end tidal carbon dioxide is reported as
both a number as well as a graph that gives us additional information about
their breathing. A graph of a normal
patient is pictured below.
Your pet’s blood pressure is as important as your blood pressure. Often, during anesthesia, the blood pressure will be low. It is important to know this as low blood pressure can have negative effects on the kidneys and brain. Low blood pressure can be treated with fluids and medications during surgery if needed.
The SpO2 level refers to the percentage of oxygenated
hemoglobin present in the patient’s blood.
Hemoglobin is part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from the
lungs to the tissues. A low value alerts
us to the possibility that the patient may not be breathing enough or that
there may be something wrong with the lungs causing the pet to be not getting
enough oxygen.
If you have any concerns about anesthesia, please
feel free to contact us.
