General Anaesthetic

At Aireworth Vets we use safe and effective anaesthetic agents and equipment and we regularly perform various surgical procedures. Although horses have an increased anaesthetic risk compared to cats and dogs, your horse is in good hands with us.

Anaesthesia is defined as the loss of sensation by the controlled, reversible suppression of nervous function with drugs. Under general anesthetic, consciousness is lost preventing pain and stress to the horse.
Note: If your horse is insured please notify the insurers concerning the procedures planned for your horse.

Prior to the General Anaesthesia
Take you horse's food away at 9pm the night before so that they have an empty stomach for the surgery. You may leave water available for your horse.

When you bring your horse to the surgery you will be greeted by one of our equine nurses. They will go through the consent form with you and give you an opportunity to ask any questions or express your concerns.

Before the surgery
Before any medication is given, your horse will be thoroughly assessed to detect any potential risk factors for general anaesthesia. We will examine their heart, lungs and general wellbeing. If there are any problems the procedure may be postponed and you will be contacted.

A pre-med will be administered by intra muscular injection to relax your horse and your horse’s shoes will be removed to protect their legs during anaesthesia and surgery.

We will clip any areas around the surgical site to keep it clean and dirt free. We will also clip a patch on the face and neck to help us monitor your horse. Next we wash out the horse’s mouth so that it’s clean for when the ET tube (endotracheal) is inserted into the windpipe.

Anaesthetising Your Horse
The horse will then be moved into our induction/recovery room (this is a heavily padded enclosed space with a soft floor). The horse is then heavily sedated so that we can insert a catheter into the jugular vein in the neck. The anaesthetic agent is then administered via this jugular catheter.

Once the horse is lying down we insert the ET tube. The ET tube is connected to the anaesthetic machine which helps the horse to breathe during the surgery and also keeps them asleep throughout. Once breathing is regular, the horse is moved via a mechanical winch onto our surgical table.

During the surgery
A vet is responsible for monitoring the level of anaesthetic given and the horses health by using a blood pressure monitor, ECG machine and visual observation. They are the dedicated anaesthetist and they will also administer fluids and further medication as required.

We also have experienced nurses to assist with both the anaesthesia and any surgical procedures.

Recovery
At the end of the procedure the horse is moved back into the induction/recovery room where it can recover slowly and calmly from the anaesthetic. Throughout this process the horse is monitored by the vets and nurses.

Once the horse has fully recovered you will be contacted by the vet or nurse to let you know how the surgery went. Following a general anaesthetic we like to keep your horse overnight for further observations.

Going home
We will arrange a suitable time for you to collect your horse. You will be provided with a discharge sheet which has all the information you need to care for your horse after surgery.

It may be necessary to arrange a follow up appointment depending on the surgery carried out.