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Option of Board-Certified Veterinary Anesthesiologist for Your Pet

Our goal is to provide exceptional care for pets and the people who love them. If you or your veterinarian are concerned about anesthesia for your pet, a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist can provide care and intensive monitoring before, during, and after anesthesia to optimize recovery when your pet is having a dental procedure or oral surgery performed. The Animal Dental Clinic regularly teams up with Dr. Heidi Shafford, a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist from Veterinary Anesthesia Specialists to offer the advanced anesthesia services.

Anesthesia success is more than surviving anesthesia--it is about improving recovery. In addition to expertise in anesthesia, Dr. Shafford is a Patient Recovery Specialist. "My job is to prevent complications, advocate for patient safety and work to optimize each pet’s recovery."

Dr. Shafford will review your pet’s medical records prior to the surgery and create a patient-specific plan to prevent complications. The plan may involve modifying medical management in the days leading up to the procedure. Dr. Shafford will call you a few days in advance to explain her approach to maximize anesthesia recovery for your pet, address your concerns and plan ahead for a successful at-home recovery. Typically, Dr. Shafford will meet you when she examines your pet the morning of the dental procedure.

Having a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist involved in the care of your pet gives your pet access to a wider array of anesthetic medications and advanced anesthesia and pain management techniques. Dr. Shafford is directly involved in anesthesia from administration of pre-anesthetic medications and catheter placement to full recovery from anesthesia. After your pet returns home, Dr. Shafford will call to see how your pet is doing after surgery and check on their comfort level, if they are eating and able to take their medications. An additional follow-up is provided a week later to ensure your pet is on the right path to a full return to normal activities.

Here are some examples of pets that benefit from the advanced anesthesia care of a Board-Certified Veterinary Anesthesiologist:

• Pets that have had anesthetic complications
• Older pets
• Medically fragile pets who have heart disease, kidney disease, collapsing trachea, diabetes, etc.
• Brachycephalic dogs and cats
• Fearful or easily stressed pets
• Breeds with higher risk due to breed-predisposition to underlying disease (example: Boxers, Maine Coon cats, etc.)

To learn more about Veterinary Anesthesia Specialists and Dr. Heidi Shafford, visit https://vetanesthesiaspecialists.com/