As part of our practice upgrade and refurbishment recently, we have invested in an advanced anaesthetic machine which will help to make anaesthetising pets even safer.
The new unit has a built-in multi-monitor which enables very close monitoring of the patient’s vital signs. These readings include:
- ECG trace – to monitor the electrical activity of the heart and to pick up any unusual heart rhythms
- Blood pressure – readings are taken every few minutes to ensure blood pressure is adequate to continually perfuse organs for oxygen supply and waste removal
- CO2 – carbon dioxide measurements give a good measure of how the patient’s breathing is performing
- Oxygen saturation – the levels of oxygen being carried in the blood which can be affected by circulation and breathing
- Temperature, heart rate and respiration rate are also monitored.
The other huge benefit is the integral ventilator function. This means that we can take over the animals breathing whilst they are asleep or even just assist it if necessary. This is especially important for critical patients.
Finally, the ventilator is able to automatically hold the animal’s breath for a period of time. This clever feature helps to prevent “movement blur” when we are performing a CT scan of the chest or abdomen. This ensures optimal image quality making interpretation easier and this the likelihood of an accurate diagnosis.
This piece of equipment has already made a remarkable difference to many cases. Take a look at the case of “Dory’s Diaphragmatic Dilemma” where our patient was struggling to breathe due to displacement of the stomach into the chest. The ventilator was able to take over the breathing and ensure Dory was stable and safe whilst we performed the surgery to correct her problem.
Read Dory’s story here or click on the image below to read her story
Anaesthetic machine in action. Different monitoring readings and graphs can be seen on the two screens.
As always, the anaesthetic must also be overseen and monitored by a trained member of staff.
New CT Scanner Installation and Imaging
In February we had our final training ready for any patients needing this amazing form of advanced imaging
Dory’s Diaphragmatic Dilemma
Dory’s situation was quite critical; some tests were done but there was a high risk of making her worse is she was stressed in any way
Jett’s Fractured Foot
When Jett was brought to the practice one Sunday in late January, his back foot was hugely swollen & painful
