Our specialist veterinary anaesthesia team provides advanced, indivualised anaesthetic care for dogs undergoing surgery, diagnostic imaging and complex procedures. We support dogs with higher anaesthetic risk, underlying health conditions and specialised pain management needs.
Anaesthesia allows procedures to be performed safely, without pain, fear or movement. At our University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals in Sydney and Camden, our anaesthesia service provides evidence based anaesthesia and pain management tailored to each dog's age, breed, health status and procedure.
We work closely with surgical, medical and emergency teams to support safe anaesthesia and smooth recovery for dogs.
Dogs may benefit from specialist anaesthesia if they:
All veterinarians are trained and qualified to perform basic anaesthesia. A specialist in anaesthesia has undergone further training in anaesthesia including a one year internship and a 3 year residency program after which they sit exams to become a registered specialist in anaesthesia.
Pain management is a priority. We use a multimodal approach, combining different medications and techniques to reduce pain while minimising side effects. Pain relief plans are tailored and adjusted throughout recovery.
Depending on your dog's health and the procedure performed, your veterinarian may recommend an overnight stay.
Our Sydney hospital is staffed 24 hours a day, allowing ongoing monitoring and pain management when needed.
Our Camden hospital is staffed 8am - 4pm.
Modern veterinary anaesthesia is very safe. Often times, vets will use the same drugs as what is used in humans for anaesthesia. To minimise risk, drugs are tailored to the patient, advanced monitoring is used and trained staff are with your pet the whole time. Although no procedure is completely risk free, the mortality rates under anaesthesia have been dropping and are now less than 1% for dogs and cats.
The anaesthetic plan is tailored to each patient so a lower dose can be used if your pet has a sensitivity to the drugs used during anaesthesia. Please let your veterinarian know if your dog has previously had any anaesthetic complications or has drug sensitivities so that the anaesthetic plan can be altered accordingly.
This depends on the procedure and your dog's health. For some dogs, overnight monitoring provides added safety and comfort.
Depending on the procedure and the health status of your pet, it may be possible to sedate your dog or cat, rather than anaesthetising them. However, in many cases a general anaesthetic may be required. Your vet will inform you of the best option for your animal, as a general anaesthetic may be safer than sedation.
Fasting reduces the risk of aspirating stomach contents under anaesthesia. During anaesthesia, the stomach opening may relax resulting in regurgitation or reflux under anaesthesia. This risk is reduced if your cat or dog has been fasted. Check with your vet the ideal fasting time, as an excessively long fasting period will also increase the risk of regurgitation.
Ideally, all patients with a murmur should have an echocardiogram prior to anaesthesia. If the murmur has not been worked up, the safest anaesthetic protocols are opioid based protocols. If you are unsure, please consult with a specialist anaesthetist.
If the patient is bradycardic, normotensive and has a sinus rhythm, there is no need to treat the bradycardia. If the patient becomes hypotensive or has an escape rhythm, then an anti-cholinergic agent such as atropine or glycopyrrolate is required.
Minimising anaesthetic risk in a compromised patient requires careful planning of the anaesthetic. All appropriate pre anaesthetic testing such as blood tests should be performed prior to the procedure. Ensure all patients are preoxygenated prior to anaesthesia and that drug choices are appropriate to the patient and its health status. As these patients have limited functional reserve, they require intense monitoring during the anaesthetic and the recovery period.
Certain breeds, including brachycephalics (pugs, French bulldogs, Boston Terriers, etc.), will have a higher risk under anaesthesia due to their smaller airways. However, anaesthesia can still be safely performed in these breeds with appropriate monitoring and equipment.
Your veterinarian may suggest ‘pre-GA blood tests’ before your cat or dog’s procedure. These tests will evaluate organ function, primarily the kidneys and the liver, but may be more comprehensive depending on what your vet has recommended. A liver and kidney panel assists in creating an anaesthetic plan as many of our drugs are metabolised and excreted by the liver and kidneys. If your pet has organ dysfunction, they may elect to cancel the anaesthetic or will need to avoid specific drugs.
Yes, cats and dogs require individualised anaesthetic plans. Cats and dogs may tolerate medications differently and may require different drug doses or protocols. Anaesthetic plans are always tailored to consider your pets age, breed, size and health status.
Unlike us, dogs will require a general anaesthetic for dental procedures. Anaesthesia free dentistry is not recommended as we are unable to clean underneath the gumline or take dental xrays in an awake patient. Without anaesthesia, your pet may experience a more painful procedure and diseased teeth may be left behind.
Anaesthesia allows procedures to be performed safely with the risk of movement, pain or fear. Many procedures cannot be done without anaesthesia for the safety of both your pet and for our veterinary staff.
