Here at Bloomfield Pet Clinic, we believe that surgical procedures performed on your pets are just as serious as those performed on people.  Anytime a pet is administered anesthesia and undergoes a surgery, our staff abides by strict protocols to ensure that stress and discomfort are minimized and your pet’s safety is assured before, during and after the procedure.  The following are brief yet thorough descriptions of our surgical protocols and how they benefit your pet and you.

Pre-Anesthetic Blood Panel:  We require mandatory blood tests for all our surgical patients prior to general anesthesia administration.  Our in-house laboratory can provide us with blood panel results before surgery begins, and allow our staff ample time to notify the pet’s owner of any blood abnormalities before anesthesia and surgery are performed.  These pre-anesthetic panels can provide vital information about a pet’s liver, kidney, blood sugar levels, red blood cells, white blood cell counts, and platelets.  These results allow our staff to tailor your pet’s pain management treatment and anesthetics accordingly.

I.V. Catheters and Fluids:  All surgical patients receive an intravenous catheter to enable our doctor and staff to administer medications more comfortably and allow easy access to a vein should an emergency arise during surgery or while under anesthesia.  Every patient receives I.V. fluids during surgical procedures to maintain blood pressure and proper blood flow through the kidneys, as well as to replenish normal fluid loss during anesthesia and the procedure.

Anesthesia:  Prior to anesthetic administration and surgery, our doctor performs a thorough evaluation of your pet’s age, general physical health, and in-house laboratory blood results.  Then, based on the individual needs of each patient, our doctor chooses from a number of sedatives, local and/or general anesthetics, and pain management medications to make certain that the surgery is performed safely and the patient remains comfortable during and after the procedure. 

Surgical Monitoring:  All patients under anesthesia are monitored with an ECG, pulse-oximeter (measures oxygen saturation in the blood), and respiratory monitor.  Throughout the entire surgical process, a surgical assistant monitors and records the patient’s vital signs, and remains with your pet until fully recovered.

Pain Management:  Proper pain management involves not only anesthesia, but also a variety of additional medications given to relieve the pain associated with surgery.  Based on your pet’s individual profile, our doctor chooses the safest and most effective pain medications to ensure pain and discomfort are minimized during and after surgery. 

Temperature Management: Heat support is a vital part of a safe surgery and rapid recovery. All surgeries are performed on a heated surgery table and after the procedure our staff ensures that your pet remains warm and comfortable in our in-house recovery area.