General Anaesthetics for your pets in Goulburn

Most pets require a general anaesthetic at some point in their life for a variety of reasons. Whether it is for routine surgery e.g. desexing, or for a more serious or urgent treatment, all general anaesthetics are undertaken with the upmost care at our hospital.

Southern Tablelands Veterinary Hospital perform general anaesthetics on a daily basis, utilising modern anaesthetic delivery and monitoring equipment, and well-recognised anaesthetic drugs and techniques.

An anaesthetic is generally given by intravenous injection, followed by inhalation of anaesthetic gas to maintain a level of unconsciousness necessary for surgery, diagnostic tests and other procedures to be performed. Without an anaesthetic, these procedures would be impossible to perform.

All anaesthetics carry a small degree of risk, however, these days anaesthetics are generally considered very safe, especially in young, healthy animals. In order to further minimise this risk, we may recommend a pre-anaesthetic blood test and intravenous fluids during the procedure.

Before an anaesthetic the pet generally needs to have been given no food in the last 12 hours and no water for the last 3 hours. However, in an emergency this may not always be possible.

All pets will be examined prior to an anaesthetic, and pain relief and sedation given as needed. During the anaesthetic, pets will be continuously monitored by our trained staff, and on recovery will be kept warm and comfortable.

The length of stay in the hospital following an anaesthetic is highly variable, depending on the type of procedure, and the individual pet’s requirements. We will ensure your pet is given the appropriate amount of care, monitoring and treatment required.