Meridian Park Veterinary Hospital

MPVH is Now a Sevoflurane-Exclusive Hospital – How Does This Affect Your Pet?

Meridian Park Veterinary Hospital is now exclusively using Sevoflurane anesthesia! What is Sevoflurane (Sevo) and what does this mean for you and your pet?

Veterinary anesthetic protocols are rapidly changing for the better and we at Meridian Park Veterinary Hospital believe that every pet deserves the smoothest, fastest, safest anesthesia available.

When discussing surgeries, a common question we hear from clients is: “Why shouldn’t I get the ‘same’ surgery at the clinic down the road?”. The best answer is that,  for about a hundred different reasons, it isn’t the same surgery. One of these reasons is our state-of-the-art anesthetic protocol which now includes Sevo, the benefits of which are significant over older agents used at “low cost” clinics.

Sevoflurane is a new anesthsetic agent that is also used for human pediatric procedures. It makes surgical procedures safer and speeds up recovery with minimal problems that are often associated with older anesthetics – with no significant difference in cost!

• Sevo does not have a pungency that irritates the respiratory system. It is better tolerated and results in low airway irritability.
• Sevo has a low blood gas solubility, which allows anesthesia to be induced faster.
• Sevo has been show to be less of a respiratory depressant than older anesthetic agents when used for the same amount of time. This is especially beneficial for older pets with certain medical conditions that would otherwise prevent the procedure from being performed using older protocols.
• Patient recovery with Sevo is smoother and faster.

In addition, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has released new guidelines (www.aahanet.org/Library/Anesthesia_Guidelines.aspx) covering all aspects of surgical anesthetic protocols.  The new guidelines call for a thorough patient history, comprehensive labwork, and a complete examination before determining the best course of action for the procedure. According to AAHA, anesthesia-related complications are responsible for a significant number of liability insurance claims, with most anesthetic-associated deaths occuring during the first three hours of recovery. Adding Sevoflurane to our already-stringent anesthetic protocols helps MPVH provide your pet with the best care before, during, and after anesthesia.

If you have any questions or concerns about Sevoflurane, do not hesitate to call us at 503-692-3300 or e-mail us at mpvhospital@frontier.com.