In order to place your pet safely under general anesthesia, we start by giving an injection of an axiolytic (anxiety reducing) sedative combined with pain medication. This allows the animal to relax and reduces the amount of anesthetic induction agent required to completely anesthetize. Anesthetic induction agents are medications given intravenously “to effect.” This means that the medication is given slowly into the intravenous catheter until the pet reaches the desired level of anesthesia. This method allows us to use only as much medication as that individual pet needs, and no more. Once they are induced an endotracheal tube is passed into the trachea (windpipe). The tube is is then used to administer oxygen mixed with the anesthetic gas we use to keep your pet anesthetized. Having the tube in place protects your pet’s lungs from plaque bacteria and other matter that is removed from the teeth during the ultrasonic cleaning process. An intravenous catheter placed in one of your pet’s limbs gives us direct access to your pet’s cardiovascular system to give medication or fluids as needed. Once the procedure is completed and the anesthetic is turned off, oxygen is continued to be delivered to your pet until they wake up and the tube is removed. The anesthetic gas is exhaled and thus allows for a quick recovery. This means your pet’s anesthesia will last only as long as it needs to.