The NAVC Clinician’s Brief just published a helpful article on breed-specific anesthesia risks, which is well worth reading. The article provides a good overview of anesthesia issues and concerns by dog breed or size, including a helpful checklist of recommendations for protocols to use, not use and watch-outs. Both are good resources for you to review prior to any surgery involving anesthesia. I would also recommend walking through these recommendations with your vet, along with ... Read More »
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How safe are my vet’s anesthesia practices?
February 29, 2012
While the AAHA’s guidelines for veterinary anesthesia delivery and monitoring are helpful, I was disappointed to learn that adherence to them is optional. A veterinary hospital or clinic can be accredited by the AAHA regardless of whether they have the equipment required to monitor a patient effectively or significant experience in administering anesthesia. While there are almost 100,000 practicing veterinarians in the US, the ACVA has 220 members who are accredited veterinary anesthesiologists. Unless you ... Read More »
Veterinary Anesthesia: The good, the bad, and the guidelines
February 28, 2012
In my research, I found an incredibly helpful article written by Jessica Tremayne in Veterinary Practice News, which was published shortly after the AAHA released its anesthesia guidelines in November. A link to the full article is below, but I’ve excerpted a few interesting facts and quotes from the piece here: 1 in every 1,000 pets who undergo anesthesia will die. That equates to one death every few years for the typical veterinarian. 1 in ... Read More »
Protecting My Puppy from Death by Veterinary Anesthesia
February 22, 2012
The scariest part of Moose’s recent dental abscess surgery was the anesthesia. After Falcon died, I began hearing a number of veterinary mistake horror stories, many of which were related to deaths caused by anesthesia. While the specifics of each case varied, the narratives generally fell into one of two categories. Inappropriate dose/medication – the dog/cat dies on the operating table, sometimes prior to the surgery. In the cases where the pet owner did an ... Read More »
Moose’s Surgery: My Blog Begins
February 5, 2012
7:45 am I begin this blog in an anxious state, an unsettling mixture of sorrow, fear and hope. I sit waiting in the tile-floored, plastic-chaired waiting room of the University of Pennsylvania Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital while my little Maltese, Moose, is in surgery. Our journey here has been long in miles, time and spirit. But I’ve come here, because I want the best care possible for my little Moose. And, because getting good ... Read More »