What is it?
It is very likely that your pet will need surgery at some point in its life. All types of surgeries involve a certain degree of risk. This risk can be minimised by the use of preanaesthetic blood tests and fluids. At Vet4Pets we believe that all pet owners should be aware of the safest ways of performing surgery and your pet should be entitled to them.
Why do it?
At Vets4Pets we strongly recommend the use of intravenous(IV) fluids for any procedure regardless of its complexity. Heavy sedation, dental procedures, desexing or three-hour surgery have one thing in common: they all drop the blood pressure and this compromises the blood circulation in the body. IV fluids keep up the blood pressure, and by using them we are maintaining a normal blood flow through the kidneys and liver, which are two crucial organs for the metabolism and the elimination of the anaesthetic. As a result of this your pet will recover faster and go home sooner after the anaesthetic, which in turn minimises stress and extra costs for additional hospitalisation.
The use of fluids will also maintain the electrolyte balance in the body during the procedure. Without fluids, when the blood pressure drops, more acids, waste products and free radicals are produced which can compromise the outcome of the surgery.
Finally, we all know that surgeries occasionally go wrong. In case of emergency every second can make the difference between life and death. On the rare occasions when complications occur, the fluid line gives us a portal through which we can administer medications and save your pets’ life.
IV fluids cost less than $60 and, in light of all the advantages listed above, you should seriously consider demanding them when your pet needs surgery.
Pre-anaesthetic blood test
A pre-anaesthetic blood test is another important way to improve the safety of any surgical or examination procedure under anaesthetic or heavy sedation. At Vets4Pets, if preanaesthetic bloods are necessary, we usually take a blood sample on the day of the surgery and, because the sample is analysed in-house, we get the results within ten minutes.
Even if your pet looks healthy that does not mean that there is no existing problem. Dogs, cats and any other pet may have a medical problem that is impossible to diagnose by external examination only. Sometimes a pet may not be a good candidate for surgery and the surgery can end up tragically unless previous care was taken to diagnose the problem. Additionally your pet can have a problem regardless of its age. Young animals can have weak kidneys too!
A blood test gives us a better idea of how your pet’s body functions and if there are any potential problems that we should be aware of. We test for six basic parameters that tell us about the function of the kidneys and the liver. Should there be a problem with the internal organs, we may change the medications or anaesthetic protocol to preserve the affected organs, thus increasing the chance for the success of surgery.
So next time when your pet is booked in for surgery, demand the best and safest way for your pet.