5 Questions to Ask About Anesthesia for a Desexing Procedure
If it's time for your pet to be desexed, you need to take him or her to the vet for the procedure. In most cases, the vet will use general anesthesia to keep your pet comfortable. To ensure your pet is getting the best treatment possible, you may want to ask a few questions first.
1. Is It Possible to Use Topical Anesthesia?
In most cases, the vet will need to use general anesthesia, but in some cases, the vet may be able to just use topical anesthesia. Surprisingly, desexing procedures are relatively fast. In particular, if you are having a male cat neutered, you may be able to skip the general anesthesia.
2. Do Any Conditions Make the Anesthesia Extra Risky?
There is always a slight risk of complications with anesthesia, but the risk of complications is increased with animals who have certain conditions. In particular, if your pet has a heart murmur or an infection, you may want to explore other options rather than anesthesia. Additionally, overweight pets may also face extra complications—you may want to have your pet lose weight before doing the desexing procedure.
3. Are You Using a Heating Pad?
Recently, a few animals got into the news for dying due to burns sustained while under anesthesia. The burns happened due to heating pads that were used to keep the animal warm while under anesthesia. To avoid this risk, ask the vet is he or she is going to be using a heating pad, and make sure that it is approved for use in this situation. You can't just use a normal heating pad that is designed for humans. The heating pad needs to be designed so that the pet can move away if he or she feels too hot.
4. Who Is Going to Be Monitoring Your Animal's Vitals?
There should be a point person assigned to monitor the pet's vitals during the desexing procedure. Ideally, this should not be the same person who is doing the spaying or neutering. Instead, it should be another individual who can really keep an eye out for issues.
5. What Are the Post Care Instructions?
Once your pet comes out of the anesthesia, he or she may feel woozy or lack concentration. Make sure that you know what to expect after the desexing procedure. For instance, you may need to keep your pet away from staircases or similar falling hazards for a certain amount of time after the procedure.