Anesthesia: There’s More to it Than Just Lay Back and Count to Ten

Almost every dog or cat will have to be anesthetized at least once in their lifetime, with the majority of pets receiving anesthesia several times. The reasons for this can vary from a spay or neuter in a young, healthy animal to a dental procedure in an active, middle aged pet to a cancerous mass removal in an older, perhaps somewhat health impaired patient. However, the one thing all of these scenarios have in common is our dedication to providing a safe and effective anesthesia experience.

At Pearl Animal Hospital we take anesthesia very seriously, and we have a pre-operative protocol to ensure your pet’s safety. This includes the requirement of a recent examination and pre-anesthetic lab. This is extremely important because a physiological abnormality can be diagnosed during this process that may have otherwise gone undetected. These abnormalities can include findings such as a heart murmur, anemia, or elevated liver or kidney values, just to name a few. Oftentimes, this does not mean your pet should not undergo his or her procedure, but rather more in depth diagnostics should be performed. In any case, it is imperative to have that knowledge, which allows us to create a more individualized and appropriate anesthesia protocol for our patient.

Dental Disease in Cats

May's Pet of the Month

Meet our good friend and May Pet of the Month, Pedro!  Pedro is a 12-year-old Domestic Short hair who was rescued as a kitten from a cardboard box in Michigan!  He now lives a cushy life here in Portland.  Pedro enjoys relaxing in cardboard boxes, bird-watching, a good game of batting around wadded up paper, and acting as an early morning furry alarm clock for his owners!  Pedro would like to teach us about dental disease!

The Importance of Pet Insurance

April’s Pet of the Month

Meet Olive, our April Pet of the Month!  Not only are we honored to feature sweet Olive, but we also get to wish her a happy first birthday on April 20th!!  Olive is an adorable Yorkie mix who loves to give kisses, play at daycare with her Newfoundland friend Truman, and play with her squeaky toys!  Olive is here to teach us about pet insurance!

Cat Dental Cleaning Procedure

Tommy, a 7 year old black and white domestic shorthair, was a star patient during his recent dental procedure. At a recent check-up, Dr. Anders noticed severe plaque and tartar on Tommy’s teeth, along with painful oral ulcerations on his gums. She recommended a professional cleaning to remove the accumulation of tartar and plaque. While Tommy was under anesthesia, several cavity lesions were detected and the diseased teeth were extracted. At his follow up exam, Tommy’s owner noted that he has had much more energy, personality, and a stronger appetite since his procedure. What she had perceived to be old age causing him to hide and sleep was most likely oral pain causing him to withdraw. Tommy quickly recovered from his procedure and was soon back to harrassing his dog brother and hunting for his beloved Q-tips, one of his favorite ‘toys’. With a mouth full of healthy teeth, Tommy is more content than ever to allow his kitty sister Cocoa to groom him and sit on whatever his mom is reading.