Imagine feeling ill and not being able to express it.  That’s why when we perform surgery at Guelph Animal Hospital our goal is to keep your pet as comfortable as possible while fostering a healthy recovery.   Our health care team is commonly asked how we do this and what makes our comfort strategies different.   Each pet and procedure is individually evaluated and we choose a combination of many or all of the following as part of our Advanced Care and Comfort policy for our patients.

1. Pre-surgical blood work helps ensure there are no pre-existing conditions that may hinder any part of the surgical procedure or recovery.
2. Carefully selected combinations of pre-anaesthetic and anaesthetic drugs used at low doses can limit potential side effects while providing more comfort and smoother recovery from anaesthesia.
3. Blood pressure monitoring helps us to keep your pet at an optimal level of anesthetic: sleeping, but not too deeply.
4. Laser Surgery helps reduce bleeding and swelling, improves comfort, helps prevent infection and speeds healing.  Because of these added benefits the laser is used instead of a scalpel to make any incisions.
5. Intravenous Fluids delivered throughout anaesthesia and recovery helps maintain adequate blood pressure and protects the kidneys and other vital organs.
6. Heating unit similar to a heating blanket used in homes keeps your pet warm while sleeping, as the body temperature naturally drops.  Staying at a normal body temperature gives the body less work too when it’s trying to wake up, allowing for a faster recovery.
7. CRI = Constant Rate Infusion it’s an ultra-low dose anaesthetic throughout the procedure.  This helps reduce the dose of other anaesthetics while improving overall comfort and anaesthetic recovery.
8. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and/or Narcotics these may be administered before and after surgical procedures, and usually sent home for several days following surgery, this will help keep pets comfortable until fully recovered.
9. Traumeel, a homeopathic medication developed in Germany, has been shown to reduce inflammation which may lead to a more comfortable recovery.  This may be given by I.V. or local injection following surgical procedures.
10. Therapeutic laser.  Unlike the surgical laser, the therapeutic laser uses a different wavelength, or “strength” of light energy.  When applied, it has been shown to reduce swelling and allows the body to release its own energy to heal.   Many of our orthopedic or bone procedures will have this done immediately or in the weeks following surgery to get those pets back on their feet sooner!
11. Pain recognition is an important part of our policy.  As we already mentioned, our pets can’t tell us when they are not feeling well….or can they?  Subtle changes in the way they hold their ears or eyes to changes in heart rate and breathing all tip us off if a pet needs a touch up on medication.  When we catch it early or in the subtle stages, we can make sure that they rest comfortably following surgery which is part of the prescription for a positive recovery!