Our machines are fantastic for all the extra data they provide but we consider them an additional safeguard to the level of care provided by our dedicated, highly trained nurses
Here’s a summary of what we do at The London Cat Clinic:
Our veterinary staff conduct a full examination to assess your cat's anaesthetic risk category. We record their heart rate, breathing, hydration, temperature and bodyweight. Depending on your cat’s age and problem, we may also advise a pre-anaesthetic blood test to assess important organ function.
Based on our findings, we select the most suitable pre-anaesthetic drugs to sedate and relax your cat and to start pain relief.
A small patch of fur is gently and quietly clipped from one of your cat’s legs and a dab of local anaesthetic cream is applied.
After twenty minutes, we use an intravenous catheter to provide ongoing access to the circulatory system. This is also used for additional pain relief and antibiotics along with intravenous fluids. These fluids are vital for your cat’s anaesthesia as they support blood pressure and ensure continuous blood flow to the vital organs, the kidneys in particular.
When everything is in place, your cat will be anaesthetised via injection through the catheter. Once they are asleep, we carefully place a sterile endotracheal (ET) tube into the windpipe. This connects to our anaesthetic machine and the patient will be given a mixture of oxygen and gas anaesthesia to keep them asleep during their surgery. 
We continuously monitor your cat’s heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen content and core body temperature.
We also go the extra mile to keep your cat warm by using Bair Hugger™ technology that circulates warm air around your cat using specially designed blankets. Bair Huggers™ have been used in human hospitals for over 25 years and represent the highest standard of care.
We take pain control very seriously and use different methods to control pain during and after the procedure, improving our recovery times.
As in humans, general anaesthesia understandably carries a risk. By using industry leading drugs and techniques alongside our extensive monitoring, we feel any risk is minimised as much as possible. In the rare situation of something untoward occurring, we are always prepared so we can rapidly intervene.
We’re here to help. So if you’d like more information or to discuss your cat’s upcoming general anaesthetic and procedure, please call The London Cat Clinic on 0203 740 1112.