Anesthesia/Surgery Consent Form

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Your cat is scheduled for surgery or procedure that requires general anesthesia.  While we do not anticipate any complications, there are some risks that are inherent to anesthesia.  Our doctors always examine their patients thoroughly on the day of your cat’s procedure, but there are rarely conditions that even the best examination may not uncover.  In most cases, pre-surgical blood and urine tests will be required before anesthesia can be confidently and safely performed.

We would like you to know that we strive to use the highest quality medications and most up-to-date anesthetic and pre-emptive and multi-modal pain preventative protocols available. We never skimp or try to cut costs on anything related to anesthesia or surgery. We do not over-book our procedures, and are extremely focused on the small number of procedures that we schedule each day.

We also want you to know that we take our commitment to pain management very seriously. We are members of the IVAPM (International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management) and have spent many hours of continuing education focused on current pain management strategies for our patients.

While your cat is under anesthesia, he or she will be monitored by one or more of our highly-trained and qualified veterinary nurses at all times. To aid us in the anesthesia monitoring process we use a number of highly sophisticated vital-sign monitors such as pulse oximeters, EKG’s, blood pressure, respiratory, body temperature, and end-tidal CO2 monitors. The machines are used in-conjunction with the nurse’s skilled monitoring, but not as a replacement for an experienced and highly qualified “live” person whose sole job is monitoring anesthesia and protect your cat.

Please be aware that we will need to shave areas of your cat’s body for the various monitoring devices, an intravenous (IV) catheter, and the surgery site itself. IV catheters provide IV fluids during the procedure which helps maintain good blood flow to vital organs during anesthesia and are considered essential in all but extremely brief procedures.

Lastly, we want you to know that while your cat is with us, before, during and after their procedure, their safety and comfort will be our primary focus, at all times.