A vet on the Maltese forum I belong to wrote this for us to pin:
Anesthesia
there are different phases of anesthesia. there is a premedication, and induction medication, and a maintenance gas used for the whole procedure.
premeds goals are to relax the pet with a tranquilizer and begin pain control before the procedure is even started. they also reduce the amount of induction medications needed which may be harsher for your pet. there are a vast number of types of premeds so i will not go into detail.
induction medications allow your pet to completely relax and allow the veterinarian to intubate your pet. common medications are Ketamine/valium combination and propofol. ket/val should not be used in animals with kidney or heart problems and in animals prone to having seizures. propofol should not be used in animals with trouble breathing unless there are far worse risks with other medications.
maintenance gas anesthesia may be either isoflurane or sevoflurane. both are very safe. it was once thought that sevo was a superior gas but now it is known to be equally as safe as isoflurane. iso is cheaper and far more common. there are other gases out there but these are the two that can be trusted. my personal preference is isoflurane b/c sevo can lower the pets temperature during recovery from anesthesia and can be dangerous if the patient isnt watched carefully. but with proper care both are a good choice. |