The MVA Anesthesia Service ensures the highest possible standard of care is available for your pet. We understand that as a pet owner, the use of anesthesia can cause concern, especially if your pet has a complex illness or a poor history with anesthesia. Our commitment is to make pet anesthesia as safe as possible. That is why our team is led by a board-certified specialist in Veterinary Anesthesia, who works directly with our Anesthesia Support Team and all veterinary specialty services at MVA. This integrated approach allows us to provide safe, optimal anesthesia and comprehensive pain management that is specifically tailored to your pet before, during, and long after their procedure.
What is a Veterinary Anesthesiologist?
A board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist is a veterinarian who has completed extensive, multi-year training (typically 3-4 years) in anesthesiology and pain management after graduating from veterinary school. This residency training culminates in a rigorous board certification exam. Having a veterinary anesthesiologist manage your pet’s care is the gold standard, ensuring a level of oversight and expertise equivalent to that in human medicine.
What Does an Anesthesiologist Do?
- Risk Assessment: Evaluating your pet’s complete health status to identify and mitigate any potential risks.
- Customized Planning: Developing a unique anesthetic and pain management plan based on your pet’s specific health needs, age, breed, and procedure.
- Advanced Monitoring & Capnography: We use state-of-the-art equipment to continuously monitor your pet’s vital signs—including heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygenation—throughout the entire process. This includes capnography, a critical benchmark for evaluating anesthetic quality. Capnography measures the carbon dioxide levels in your pet’s breath, providing an instant, breath-by-breath read on their ventilation and circulation. While often standard in human medicine, this advanced monitoring ensures we detect even the slightest changes the moment they occur.
- Pain Management: Mastering advanced techniques, including nerve blocks and epidurals, to ensure your pet remains comfortable and pain-free.
When Might Your Dog or Cat Need a Veterinary Anesthesiologist?
A veterinary anesthesiologist is called upon to manage a pet’s anesthesia care, providing an extra layer of safety. Your pet may be referred to our Anesthesia service if they:
Have a Chronic Health Condition
This includes pets with heart disease, lung disease, kidney failure, liver problems, or diabetes.
Are a Senior Patient
Older pets often have reduced organ function that requires specialized anesthetic protocols.
Have Had Past Complications
If your pet has ever had a adverse reaction to anesthesia, our specialist can create a new plan to avoid previous issues.
Are Undergoing a Major or Complex Surgery
Advanced procedures, such as neurosurgery, complex orthopedic surgery, or major thoracic surgery, demand the precision of an anesthesia specialist.
Are a Brachycephalic (Flat-Faced) Breed
Breeds like Pugs, French Bulldogs, and Persian cats have unique airway challenges that require expert management.
Have Experienced Trauma
Emergency patients often have compromised systems that require intensive stabilization and monitoring.
The MVA Approach: A Deeper Level of Care
Our anesthesia and pain management process is comprehensive and built around your pet’s well-being.
Our team conducts a thorough physical exam and reviews pre-anesthetic blood work to create a complete health profile. The veterinary anesthesiologist uses this information to select the safest combination of medications specifically for your pet.
Your pet is never left alone. A dedicated member of our anesthesia team, under the direction of the specialist, monitors your pet’s vital signs every moment. This allows us to make real-time adjustments to keep them stable and safe.
Our care doesn't stop when the procedure ends. We manage your pet’s recovery, ensuring they wake up smoothly and comfortably. A robust, multi-modal pain management plan is put in place to control any discomfort during their hospital stay and after they go home.
We are dedicated to providing the peace of mind that comes from knowing your pet is in the hands of an expert. For further information on how a board-certified specialist in Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia ensures the highest standard of care, please visit ACVAA.org.