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| Dr Dean and Dr Doc talk all things dental - this time is about sleep drugs. |
And that is fear. And when we are talking about any procedure in our pets... well you guessed it - we are talking about the fear of the anaesthetic. I envy the human dentists, as they are able to do alot of their dental assessments and work with you sitting in their dental chair, and saying "Ah". And you are right there in their chair, whilst they tell you all of the things that need to be done in your mouth to make it healthy.
Let me make it clear - anaesthetics scare me, and I have personally had a bad anaesthetic experience during the birth of my fourth child, Paige. I had a failed epidural, and I had the anesthetist from hell. She underestimated my anaesthetic drugs and I felt the early stages of my anaesthetic. When I awoke, I was in more pain from what she had done, and not from the caesarian surgery I had to undergo.
But as a vet, I take this experience as a lesson, and I ensure I take all steps necessary to ensure my pets have a smooth, safe, pain-free anaesthetic, and recover well to go home with big smiles on their faces.
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| Our on-site pathology lab - answers in mere minutes! |
Simple. We take as many precautions before hand, such as pre-anaesthetic blood work, and a comprehensive physical examination (done by me, the vet) and determine what would be the safest
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| Our Surgivet Advisor Multiparameter monitor - with lots of bells and whistles to keep your pet safe. |
And then there is the monitoring of the procedure, from the point your pet is sedated, to the point where they are sitting up, saying hallo after the anaesthetic, hugging their teddy bear surrounded by a warm blanket.
We have a multiparameter monitor, our Surgivet Advisor, which monitors oxygenation, Heart Rate, respiratory rate, breathing depth and pattern (capnograph), ECG and temperature (via our oesophageal ECG), Blood pressure and end tidal C02 (the level of carbon dioxide). We have had this unit since 2006, and it is used daily.
It is our early warning system, but we never forget the human element. Anaesthetic monitoring means a human element. We use our equipment to help our anesthetic nurse, Dirk, to do his job to a high standard, rather than replace him.
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| Dental Xray, gas anaesthetic, monitoring gear... and a vet watching it all. |
You know it involves an anaesthetic. And this is what you are scared of.
I never ignore fear, as it serves a purpose. But I balance that fear with what we are hoping to achieve by facing it. And in your pet, an anaesthetic is needed to either fix existing severe dental disease (for example, if there is a bad smell from your pets mouth), or to slow the progression of disease (early stages).
Please do not let the fear of the anaesthetic stop you doing what needs to be done in your pet's mouth to keep them pain free. And never be frightened to speak with us about your concerns... we won't talk you into anything (it's not our style), but we will support you in making the right decision for your pet's sake.
Anaesthetics are scary, but geez, we are so lucky that we have access to many safe medications. Don't let your fear stop you from letting us help your loving pet. They always deserve the best.
I am Dr Liz, and I (and Dirk) are here to help you.
