I love monitoring anaesthetics and will never go into one without having a good think about what will be best for this particular individual. I feel like I have ‘won the game’ when they wake up, recover, eat, and go home to their loving families.
Most of us have had our vet recommend a general anaesthetic for our pets at some point. It can be a scary thought and one that should be taken seriously. I have been a qualified veterinary nurse for over eight years now and while anaesthesia was my most stressful subject at university, it’s now my passion.
When I prepare to monitor an anaesthesia, I go into ‘battle mode’. I check the pet’s history, concurrent major medical issues, medications and when they last had blood tests. I like to get quite nerdy and think about the best drugs for a particular breed, could there be any medication reactions I need to avoid? What are the kidney values like on previous blood work? How do we manage fluid therapy for this particular individual? Is this animal a bit nervous? Would they benefit from a little sedation before they even come to the vet clinic for a low stress visit?
My job is to provide a safe anaesthesia specifically tailored to your pet. I am trained to predict, acknowledge and pay attention to any concerns that could be linked with anaesthesia safety. I will be constantly on the look out for changes in heart function, breathing, blood pressure, temperature, and any other complications which could occur. At The Strand Veterinarian we have two surgical nurses per patient. One to assist the veterinarian and one whose sole responsibility is to monitor the anaesthetic, without distractions, focussing purely on the patient.
I think about potential ‘attackers’ and how to ‘defend’ them. I like to think of myself like a sports persona imagining potential gameplays and strategising. If this happens, what can I do to stop it? A chihuahua with a small body area:surface ratio is likely to become critically hypothermic (cold), but with cosy pyjamas and snuggly heat pads before any anaesthetic drugs we can avoid this.
I am lucky enough to have excellent anaesthetic monitoring equipment to help guide me with anaesthetic decisions. I look at many things to build the bigger picture: what is their heart rate like (rate, rhythm, electrical trace) and is it changing? What is their blood pressure – if trending down what action? We have capnography, which is an excellent monitoring tool to see how much carbon dioxide is expired in each breath. We also are constantly thinking about preventative pain plans using multimodal approaches to minimise anaesthetic drug use (which varies amongst vet clinics) – all for a safer anaesthetic.
No animal or procedure should ever be considered routine and taken lightly. If you have someone passionate about monitoring your pet’s anaesthetic with the right equipment to facilitate this, then you can be rest assured that they will be prepared to ‘attack’ and ‘defend’ against potential risks such as low blood pressure, hypothermia, or low heart rate. All the things which make us nervous about our pets having a general anaesthetic in the first place.
Veterinary anaesthetists study and continue their education to become more proficient and diligent at looking after your pets. Having a procedure under a general anaesthetic is normally going to result in a better health outcome for your pet – but knowing you have a team maximising safe outcomes always can make all the difference.
thestrandvet.co.nz • 09 377 6667 • Textile Centre, Kenwyn St, Parnell
Words—Margie Rutherford
Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Veterinary Technology (Distinction)
