Gentle restraint
To prepare your pet for anaesthesia, we generally place a catheter into their vein. For this, the nurse gently restrains the animal whilst presenting its cephalic vein (one of the large veins on the forelimb) for good access. The vet then inserts the catheter, so that medications can be easily given to the pet.

Helping to induce anaesthesia
When it’s time for your pet to be anaesthetised, the nurse will hold and calm your pet as the vet induces general anaesthesia. Commonly, this involves a slow, steady injection of anaesthetic medication via your pet’s catheter.

After some quick checks on your pet to ensure they’re anaesthetised and stable, the nurse will hold open your pet’s mouth, so that the vet can visualise their airway opening (larynx), and pass a breathing tube down it.

Preparing your pet for any surgery
If your pet is undergoing surgery, the nurse will clip and clean the skin overlying the surgical site to ensure that it is sterile for surgery.

Monitoring your pet’s anaesthesia
Whilst the vet operates, the nurse will monitor your pet’s anaesthetic depth to ensure they are not feeling any pain but are not so deep under as to endanger their lung and heart functions. The nurse will check for certain reflexes and monitor parameters such as heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature and blood pressure.

Monitoring your pet’s recovery
When the surgery is complete, the nurse will monitor your pet to help ensure they wake up calmly and smoothly. They will let the vet know if your pet is becoming disoriented, agitated or nauseous so that supportive treatments can be administered.

Our vigilant and gentle anaesthesia practices keep your pet safe.