Pre-anaesthesia preparation in cats and dogs – recent evidence

Nurses and technicians practicing veterinary anaesthesia should be familiar with current literature on preanaesthesia preparation for cats and dogs. Reductions in morbidity and mortality in animals undergoing general anaesthesia can be achieved by using low-stress veterinary treatments to allow for thorough physical examinations, diagnostic testing, assessment of anaesthetic risks and intervention planning. This article describes morbidity and mortality in veterinary patients and highlights some recent evidence on the importance of anaesthetic checklists, pre-visit pharmaceutical options, low-stress handling, fasting protocols and associated therapeutics, and the value of pre-anaesthetic laboratory work.