Every anaesthesia and sedation carries a small risk. Generally, the overall risks of anaesthesia and sedation-related complications are 0.17% in dogs and 0.24% in cats (CEPSAF-Study). However, these numbers can vary with the anaesthetic risk class (ASA Class I-V) and depending on several factors: if your pet is young and healthy, the risk decreases. Conversely, if your pet is older, has chronic diseases, or requires emergency procedures, these numbers can increase (in ASA 3,4 and 5 up to 2.9%, 7.58% or 17.33%, overall 4.77%, Source: Bille et al., 2012). While these statistics might not provide much reassurance, consider this for perspective: parachuting has a mortality risk of 0.04%. Although lower, the key to safety in both scenarios lies in meticulous preparation and monitoring and specialist awareness of possible complications. This is where we come in. We ensure you don't have to worry about your pet's bodily functions, pain relief, or comfort while they are under anaesthesia. That's our job, and we're here to support you and your pet every step of the way. Yet, even in the hands of a highly experienced team like ours, things can occasionally go wrong, but rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure your pet's safety and well-being during anaesthesia.

Our team consists of highly qualified veterinarians with specialised training in veterinary anaesthesia. Our members have completed rigorous residency programs, involving three years of intensive study and hands-on training in all aspects of veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia, often on an international arena. Additionally, we have many years of experience treating and caring for pets with various pre-existing diseases and conditions. With a strong academic background and a commitment to continually updating our knowledge at international conferences, we ensure your pet receives gold standard care. We never compromise on your pet's safety, well-being, and pain management. We are dedicated advocates and caregivers for your pet at all times.

Each of our patients undergoes a thorough clinical examination before anesthesia, and we will also ask you a few questions regarding your pet's medical history. This is to assess your pet's overall health and identify any potential issues. Depending on the case, our specialist might suggest a series of blood tests or even other examinations before anaesthesia to ensure your pet is fit for the procedure. For pets with cardiac conditions, we may ask your local veterinarian to schedule a cardiology consultation and provide us with the results of your pet's heart scan. This ensures that we have all the necessary information to proceed safely. Most chronic medications should be administered as usual unless we instruct you otherwise. Additionally, most pets should be fasted for only 4-6 hours before receiving general anaesthesia, though they are allowed to drink water normally. Please remember that each patient is approached individually. By following these guidelines and conducting thorough pre-anaesthetic tests, we aim to ensure your pet's procedure is as safe and comfortable as possible.

Your pet's comfort and well-being are our top priorities. Modern anaesthesia includes multimodal analgesia and ensures that your pet is unaware of the pain inflicted by for example surgery. It involves administering a combination of medications that target different pain pathways. This approach provides comprehensive pain relief and minimizes the amount of each drug needed, reducing potential side effects. In addition to systemic pain relief, we also use regional anaesthesia techniques. These are local anaesthetics administered for example directly to the surgical area (or the nerve structures that go to it) to numb it, further ensuring your pet remains pain-free during and immediately after the procedure. Many types of blocks for different procedures exist, but sometimes contraindications may also apply. Our specialist will know what's best for your pet, and if your pet is suitable to receive a local or regional block, they can perform it. Post-operatively, we continue to manage your pet's pain with a tailored pain management plan, which may include medications to be administered at home. This ensures your pet remains comfortable and can recover smoothly. Our team will provide you with detailed instructions on how to administer these medications and what to watch for during the recovery period. In this way your pet's body can concentrate its forces on wound healing and have reduced interferences from pain and stress. By employing multimodal analgesia and regional blocks, we ensure your pet experiences minimal pain during and after the procedure, allowing for a quicker and more comfortable recovery.

For an animal to be unconscious and enter a state of general anaesthesia, many body functions will be suppressed. Simple things like controlling the number of breaths and their depth, heart rate, and body temperature, which are usually regulated automatically while awake, need careful monitoring. Even the best "autopilot" systems can fail. The VAS specialist's job is to always be there for your pet, monitoring its heart rate, respiratory function, blood pressure, and body temperature. We bring our own advanced monitors to your practice that allow us to track their oxygen saturation, heart rate, blood pressure, CO2 levels, and the concentrations of inhalant anaesthetic—the gas that keeps them asleep. VAS specialists continuously monitor the anaesthetic depth of your pet, adjusting the level of anesthesia as required. We also meticulously document every detail and ensure your pet stays warm throughout the procedure, provide them with infusion and required analgesia as needed.

Once the procedure is finished, we will let your pet wake up in a warm, comforting place and continue with pain relief medications. Monitoring during the recovery phase is crucial, and often we will observe your pet for a few more hours before sending them home. If needed, your pet will receive additional intravenous fluids, and you will be provided with pain medication to administer at home. Usually, your pet can have dinner as usual. It is normal for your pet to experience tiredness and apathy on the day of the procedure. Let them rest; their body needs it. However, if your pet is still apathetic, refuses to eat the next day, or experiences any symptoms that worry you, please contact us or your regular veterinarian.

Pain in animals can result from various conditions such as arthritis, injuries, post-surgical recovery, and chronic diseases. Effective pain management is essential for improving mobility and function, enhancing mood and behaviour, and increasing overall longevity and quality of life for your pet. Chronic pain can be debilitating, causing your pet to withdraw from their environment and suffer in silence. Additionally, if left untreated, chronic pain can lead to a vicious cycle where neuroplastic changes in the nervous system cause exaggerated pain responses to minimal stimuli, such as a simple touch. The earlier we can help your pet, the better the outcome.

Pets can't always communicate their pain, so it's important to recognise the subtle signs. These include limping or difficulty moving, decreased activity or reluctance to play, changes in eating or drinking habits, vocalisation such as whining or whimpering, behavioural changes like aggression or withdrawal, and excessive licking or grooming of a specific area. In dogs, you might notice lameness, difficulty jumping, quick fatigue during walks, behavioural changes, reluctance to play, and restlessness or frequent panting. In cats, signs of pain can include reduced mobility, behavioural changes such as urinating indoors or aggression, decreased activity, and difficulty grooming. If any of these signs are present, consult us for a specific pain evaluation.

Acute pain serves a physiological purpose, such as encouraging the avoidance of using an injured limb, and typically resolves as the injury heals. Chronic pain, however, is pathological and lasts over longer time (often three months is mentioned), but more importantly often involving changes in nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain, leading to pain without obvious external causes. Therapy for chronic pain differs significantly as it requires a personalised approach, often combining medications with treatments such as acupuncture, physical therapy, weight management, and nutritional supplements. Effective management of chronic pain necessitates collaboration among pet owners, veterinarians, and specialists to restore the pet's quality of life.

Analgesia, derived from Latin, means "no pain." In modern medicine, this term encompasses the elimination and therapy of pain. It includes using strong analgesics like morphine during surgery and techniques like local blocks, similar to when your dentist numbs your teeth. Analgesia also applies to chronic pain conditions such as osteoarthritis or cancer pain. With increased pet life expectancy, we are seeing more cases of chronic pain and tumour-associated pain, making effective pain management more crucial than ever. In chronic pain therapy, we employ multiple medications and therapies to target different components of the chronic pain cascade.

Our Interventional Pain Therapy Clinic specialises in diagnosing and treating chronic pain using minimally invasive procedures that target the source of pain rather than relying on oral medications. In some cases, we can provide more effective localised pain relief compared to systemic treatments. We offer a range of advanced procedures, including epidural steroid injections for lumbosacral stenosis, facet joint injections for chronic disc-related pain, and ultrasound-guided local anaesthetic injections to alleviate persistent joint discomfort. Some of the conditions we treat include hip dysplasia, chronic disc disease, and nerve sheath tumours in select locations. We are one of the first centres in Switzerland to offer these types of procedures. Talk to our specialists today—we are here to help you find lasting relief for your pet.