More about Anesthesiology

Responsibilities

The anesthesiologist’s main task is to provide safe, optimal anesthesia, specifically tailored to your pet. They are trained to anticipate, recognize, and care for any concerns associated with anesthesia.

The anesthesiologist will monitor your pet thoroughly during surgery and throughout anesthetic recovery. They will be constantly on guard for changes in breathing, heart function, blood pressure and other complications that may occur. The anesthesiologist’s sole responsibility is the safety of your pet during anesthesia.

The anesthesiologist is responsible for a pre-anesthetic evaluation of your pet, care of your pet while under general anesthesia, recovery from anesthesia, pain management and the direction of any non-veterinarian staff who assist in the technical aspects of your pet’s anesthetic care.

In addition to assuring the highest possible standards of care for your pet during anesthesia, anesthesiologists know how to make the operative procedure as comfortable as possible. An anesthesiologist knows how animals react to hospitals, surgery, and pain. The anesthesiologist will work with your pet’s surgeon to improve the quality of your pet’s recovery and the entire hospital stay.

Diplomates of the ACVA

Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists are Doctors of Veterinary Medicine that have completed advanced specialty training in anesthesiology and have passed a board exam certifying them as experts in the anesthetic care of veterinary patients. The training process requires completion of an internship, residency and the publication of a scientific paper. It usually takes an additional four years of training after graduation from Veterinary Medical School to be eligible for specialty board certification.

Only veterinarians who have successfully completed the certification requirements of the ACVA are Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists and have earned the right to be called specialists in veterinary anesthesiology.

What is the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists (ACVA)? The ACVA is the American Veterinary Medical Association’s specialty board which sets the standards for advanced professionalism in veterinary anesthesiology. In 2007, the ACVA included 158 Diplomates. Nearly all ACVA Diplomates practice anesthesia at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospitals across North America. Some are in private specialty practices. The ACVA defines the standards of anesthesia excellence for the veterinary profession. It also promotes advancements in veterinary anesthesiology and provides the latest in anesthesia educational programs. By fostering the highest standards of excellence in veterinary anesthesiology, the ACVA is helping the veterinary profession achieve its goals of providing outstanding care to animals and service to the public.

Pet Owner Concerns

Whenever a patient undergoes a procedure, there is always risk of complication. Surgical risk and anesthetic risk are different. Some patients have a higher anesthetic risk due to their body size, age, or physical condition even though the surgical risk for a procedure may be minimal. In contrast, certain surgical and diagnostic procedures carry an increased anesthetic risk in all patients due to the nature of the procedure.

In Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospitals and some private hospitals, you may request that a Board Certified Veterinary Anesthesiologist anesthetize your pet. The board certified anesthesiologist will provide the highest possible standard of care available for your pet.