Ann Weil, DVM, DACVAA

Does this analgesic play a role in pain management in cats after all?

Veterinary anesthesiologist Dr. Ann Weil provides five important pointers on anesthetizing cats and dogs.

Endoscopy is the process of looking inside the body by inserting a rigid or flexible tube into the body and examining an image of the interior of an organ or cavity. An additional instrument may be inserted in order to biopsy tissue or retrieve foreign objects.

The purpose of this talk today is to discuss a variety of issues for general anesthesia of patients undergoing non-elective procedures. This will include anesthetic tips for urinary tract obstruction, cesarean section, gastric dilation volvulus, and foreign body removal.

Traditionally, analgesic drugs like opioids, alpha-2 agents, local anesthetics, NSAIDs and dissociative anesthetics have been administered as a single dose treatment. When drugs are given in this manner, the patient will experience peaks and troughs in the plasma drug level.

Liver disease patients can present with a diverse clinical spectrum. Patients with mild liver disease can be expected to have fewer problems with general anesthesia than patients with severe, fulminant disease.

Hypotension is a very common complication in the anesthetized patient, especially when the patient is maintained with inhalant anesthetics. Blood pressure is simple to measure in the anesthetized patient, and is very helpful to monitor depth of anesthesia and overall patient welfare.

Many types of anesthetic machines are now available for veterinary use. Retired machines from human hospitals are also commonly used by veterinarians.

Some random thoughts about cats: We all know they are not small dogs, but I think a certain discomfort with feline anesthesia persists with many veterinarians. Why is that?

Alpha-2 agonists have achieved widespread popularity in veterinary medicine for their sedative and analgesic properties. They can be valuable adjuncts in anesthetic protocols.

Many patients undergoing this diagnostic procedure will have signs of obstructive upper airway disease. They are dyspneic and easily stressed.