Anesthesia & Pain Management

About Anesthesia & Pain Management at AMC

Anesthesia is the combination of unconsciousness, muscle relaxation, and pain relief (analgesia) that allows your pet to undergo surgical or diagnostic procedures. When performed correctly and with appropriate monitoring, anesthesia of healthy patients carries low risk. Patients with co-existing diseases, such as heart or lung disease, are at increased risk of complications, and these pets may undergo additional testing prior to anesthesia, require additional monitoring during anesthesia, or may have their anesthetic procedure postponed until they are more stable. Whether your pet is healthy or sick, they will be monitored continuously throughout the anesthetic period and during recovery to minimize the risk of complications.

The Anesthesia Service at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is led by a board certified Anesthesiologist, who will work with your veterinarian to understand your pet’s medical history and condition. Our Anesthesia team may request additional tests and imaging based on your pet’s medical history and physical examination findings.

Our Technology

AMC employs state-of-the-art medical equipment for the
delivery of anesthesia and monitoring of patients, including:

  • Invasive and non-invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring
  • Continuous electrocardiography (ECG)
  • Pulse oximetry to monitor patient oxygenation
  • Capnography to monitor patient ventilation
  • Mechanical ventilators
  • Electrical nerve stimulation to allow specific nerve blockade for analgesia as well as monitoring of neuromuscular function during intra-operative paralysis