Today’s modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. Here at Country Doctor Veterinary Hospital, we do a thorough physical exam on your pet before administering anesthetics, to ensure that a fever or other illness won’t be a problem. We also adjust the amount and type of anesthetic used depending on the health of your pet.

Preanesthetic blood testing is recommended to reduce the risk of anesthesia. Blood testing before surgery can identify any pre-existing conditions that may pose a risk to your pet. These conditions include heart, liver, and kidney problems. Even apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system problems that cannot be detected without blood testing. If there is a problem, it is much better to find it before it causes anesthetic or surgical complications. Animals that have minor dysfunction will handle the anesthetic better if they receive IV fluids during surgery. If serious problems are detected, surgery can be postponed until the problem is corrected.