Last week, I almost lost TomTom. His injuries all pointed to him being hit by a car; and as he was coming round from anaesthetic following surgery for the removal of his right eye, TomTom stopped breathing twice.
A beautiful male cat with a white and taupe coat, TomTom lives very happily in a household that includes three dogs, so nothing much fazes him. If you’ve ever been driving and noticed just such a cat sitting tall watching the traffic go by as if it’s all done with his approval, this could very well be TomTom. Apparently, he is a natural roamer and, despite being neutered, insists on having the liberty to go off on his rounds. No amount of fencing can keep him caged in.
I met TomTom late at night on an emergency call-out. That evening, he was unusually late for supper. A search ensued and he was eventually found in a very bad state. His face was swollen; blood, mixed with saliva, was dribbling from the side of his mouth; his nostrils were completely caked over with dried blood and dirt and his right eyeball was triple its natural size, heavily bloodied and hanging out of its socket.
Luckily, his lungs sounded clear and there was no evidence of bone fracture or other injury, though the way he held himself indicated that he was severely bruised in the upper body area.
Having given him first aid medication and treatment and making sure his nostrils and airways were clear, I had to inform TomTom’s owners that it would be impossible to save his eye and the only option was to have it removed under general anaesthetic. We scheduled the operation for the following day to give TomTom some time to recover.
There are different reasons why your veterinarian may suggest your pet needs sedation or full anesthesia. Sedation is the term used when we wish to achieve a state of calmness with reduced irritability, excitement or aggression in your pet.
Anaesthesia is the term used when there is also a temporary loss of physical sensation in the animal; this is usually reserved for surgical procedures.
In veterinary practice, sedation tends to be used for a wider range of conditions because animals are unable to understand the benefits of a veterinarian’s examination and treatment. Luckily, pharmaceutical agents veterinarians now have at their disposal have come a long way – there is a wider selection and are now far safer than they were 20 years ago.
Sedation tends to be used for a wider range of conditions because animals are unable to understand the benefits of a veterinarian’s examination and treatment
Despite these advances in veterinary medicine, every time we sedate or anaesthetise a dog or cat, it still needs to be done with judicious care, and is always subject to a thorough examination of the pet.
For this reason, it is vital that there is also full, frank communication between you, as the pet owner, and the examining vet in order that all necessary information is exchanged before any procedure is commenced.
Sedation is sometimes necessary even for simple procedures such as nail-cutting, taking a blood sample or taking an X-Ray. This may sometimes be due to the natural excitability of the animal or their memory of some past painful or distressing experience.
In this respect, it is worth bearing in mind that with agitated animals, it is often safer to perform procedures under sedation rather than have them stressed; yet, with certain illnesses or diseases, any veterinarian would prefer that your pet is fully awake and non-sedated, as this tends to afford the best form of clinical evaluation.
When it comes to major surgery, anaesthesia is essential – there’s no two ways about it. Again, good communication beforehand is vital to minimise potential risk to your pet, and also to understand any risks involved.
In TomTom’s case, the gravity of his eye injury meant it had to be surgically removed. Considering the sensitivity of the eye area, his anaesthesia needed to be quite profound.
Knowing that his airways were already compromised because of the severe bruising to his face, TomTom was put on oxygen immediately after surgery, and a veterinary assistant placed on watch to ensure all was well during his recovery period.
It was during this time that I was suddenly alerted that TomTom had stopped breathing. His heart was still beating strongly and with a quick clearing of the airways and respiratory stimulation, he suddenly took a deep, shuddering gasp and resumed breathing.
But he was not yet out of the woods. Within half an hour, he had stopped breathing again and had to be revived once more. Luckily, he is a fighter. Despite the swelling in his head, he pulled through and was able to go home with his family.
TomTom is recovering slowly. His head is so bruised and swollen that he can sip only small amounts of carefully liquidised food. Yet, I am very hopeful that with the loving care bestowed on him by his dedicated owners, TomTom will make a full and complete recovery.
thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com
Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.