Veterinary Anesthesia at VCTN
VCTN has state-of-the-art anesthetic equipment. It is the combination of experience, expertise, a highly skilled team and cutting-edge equipment that minimizes the inherent risks associated with sedation and anesthesia. Each veterinary patient’s well-being is the most important factor for all procedures at VCTN.
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Anesthesia is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical purposes. It often includes a form of analgesia (prevention of pain), amnesia (loss of memory) and unconsciousness. A veterinary patient that is under the effects of anesthetic drugs is referred to as being anesthetized.
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Veterinary anesthesia typically involves a state of total unconsciousness whereas veterinary sedation does not involve complete unconsciousness.
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No. This is a common misconception amongst pet owners. Sedation is not safer than anesthesia. Nor is anesthesia safer than sedation. Both procedures should be performed with utmost care and proper management. There’s a common phrase amongst anesthesiologists ‘there are no safe anesthetic drugs, there are only safe anesthetists.
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Dr. Krimins completed a three-year veterinary anesthesia and analgesia residency after graduating from veterinary school, as well as two additional years of advanced training in small animal medicine and surgery. These five years of training after vet school are over-and-above what most veterinarians receive, and this has allowed her to learn the highest standards of clinical practice of veterinary anesthesia and analgesia. Dr. Krimins personally oversees every veterinary case undergoing anesthesia or sedation. In addition, Dr. Krimins personally trains each veterinary technician involved with VCTN veterinary cases.
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It is important for pet owners to know what will be happening with his/her pet. It is appropriate for a pet owner to ask his/her veterinarian about the vet’s experience level as well as what risks are involved.
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General anesthesia is typically given through a combination of injectable anesthetics and inhaled gas. Injectable anesthetics are most frequently given intravenously through an IV catheter placed in the patient’s vein. These anesthetics interrupt nerve signals in the body and brain providing a temporary unconsciousness. Most anesthetic agents will slow down automatic functions like breathing, heart rate and circulation. This is why it’s important to have a skilled team working on each patient, with appropriate equipment to monitor and treat possible side effects. When an anesthetic protocol is finished, it takes time for the drugs to be fully metabolized. At VCTN, a skilled technologist is with every patient, at all times, from the moment the patient enters the hospital, to the moment the patient goes home.