31 Jul How Our Team Handles Pet Anesthesia During Dental Procedures at Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery
At Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery in Colorado Springs, we understand that the word “anesthesia” can make pet owners uneasy—especially when it comes to dental procedures. You’re not alone in your concern, and we want to assure you that pet anesthesia safety, along with your pet’s comfort and overall well-being, is our highest priority.
As a veterinary team that specializes in advanced dentistry and oral surgery, we follow the highest standards in anesthesia protocols—because we know that a safe anesthetic experience is key to a successful outcome and a healthy, pain-free pet.
We also utilize multiple board-certified veterinary anesthesiologists for most of our cases. These veterinarians have passed a rigorous multi-year program in anesthesia, just as board-certified veterinary dentists do. After reviewing a case, they create a specific anesthesia protocol plan and “round” with our team by phone that morning. They review all of the details for that patient and any potential complications we may experience with them.
The anesthesiologist then monitors the case via livestream access to our anesthetic monitoring equipment with an open line of communication with the certified veterinary technician that is assigned to the case. While we cannot totally remove the risks of anesthesia, this allows us to greatly mitigate any associated risks. Our goal is to provide the best in pet dental anesthesia safety for your much-loved dog or cat.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how we handle pet anesthesia for dental procedures, and why you can feel confident entrusting your pet to our care.
1. A Tailored Approach for Every Patient
No two pets are the same—and that includes how they respond to anesthesia. At Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery, we create individualized anesthetic plans for each patient based on their age, breed, medical history, and overall health status.
Before any procedure, we perform:
- Comprehensive pre-anesthetic exams
- Blood work to assess organ function and identify any risk factors
- Review of your pet’s medical records, including previous anesthetic experiences and any medications they may be taking
Our goal is to choose the safest medications and monitoring strategy specifically for your pet.
This also means that we can safely anesthetize senior pets with dental disease and other coexisting problems, such as heart, liver, and/or kidney disease. Old age is not a disease, but it has added concerns and we excel at managing these older pets safely. These are are cases that perhaps need dental procedures under anesthesia the most.
2. Dedicated Monitoring for Maximum Pet Anesthesia Safety
One of the key differences at our practice is the continuous, hands-on monitoring by trained veterinary technicians collaborating with board-certified veterinary anesthesiologists and dentists. From the moment your pet is anesthetized to the moment they are fully awake, a technician is by their side, watching and adjusting their protocol as needed. This technician’s solitary focus is the anesthetic wellbeing of your pet. We do not have our dedicated dental technician also monitoring anesthesia at the same time they are performing a dental cleaning, though this is still a common practice at many veterinary clinics. This means that 3-4 veterinary professionals at Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery in Colorado Springs have a singular focus of caring for your pet before, during and after an anesthetic procedure.
We monitor:
- Heart rate and rhythm (via ECG, pulse oximetry and doppler devices)
- Blood pressure
- Oxygen saturation and heart rate via a pulse oximeter
- Respiratory rate and CO₂ levels
- Body temperature
This level of attention ensures that any changes in your pet’s condition are detected and managed immediately. As you can tell, we have multiple layers of anesthetic monitoring devices for each dental patient.
3. Advanced Equipment for Safer Procedures
Our dental and surgical suites are equipped with state-of-the-art monitoring and anesthesia machines, including:
- Precision vaporizers for accurate delivery of inhalant anesthetics
- Infusion pumps for precise control of IV fluids and medications
- Temperature support devices to keep your pet warm and comfortable
Having the right tools—and the expertise to use them—makes all the difference in maintaining a safe anesthetic environment.
4. Pain Management Is a Priority
We believe that pain control is essential for both comfort and recovery. We use multimodal pain management strategies tailored to each pet and procedure. This may include:
- Local anesthetic nerve blocks. This helps to keep a patient from waking up during a procedure and allows us to use lower levels of anesthetic gases. Local nerve blocks will also provide meaningful post-operative pain relief for a period of time
- Pre- and post-operative pain medications. This typically involves multiple lower doses of individual medications working together
- Anti-inflammatory treatments most often in the form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. These are the most common oral medications that are also sent home with pets for post-operative pain relief they will need
By proactively managing pain, we reduce stress on your pet’s body and help them recover faster and more comfortably.
5. Smooth Recovery and Post-Anesthetic Care
Recovery is one of the most critical phases of anesthesia—and we treat it with the same vigilance as the procedure itself. Your pet is never left unattended while waking up from anesthesia. Our team monitors their vital signs, comfort level, and behavior until they are fully awake, alert, and ready to go home.
We’ll also give you detailed at-home instructions and remain available for any questions or concerns during recovery.
6. Experience That Inspires Confidence
At Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery, we are a team of board-certified veterinary dentists, anesthesiologists and highly trained support staff who handle anesthesia for dental and oral surgical procedures every day. Our focused experience in this area means we’re not only comfortable with anesthesia – we’re confident and meticulous in how we approach it.
This also means that we can safely anesthetize senior pets, even if they have coexisting problems, such as heart, kidney or liver disease.
Whether your pet is having a routine cleaning or a complex surgical procedure, they are in the hands of a team that prioritizes safety, precision, and compassion.
Your Pet’s Safety Is Our Mission
We know how much your pet means to you—they’re family. And when they’re under our care, they become our family, too. That’s why we take every possible step to ensure their anesthetic procedure meets the highest standards of pet anesthesia safety.
If you have questions about anesthesia or your pet’s upcoming dental treatment, we welcome them. We’re here to educate, support, and walk with you every step of the way.
Because your pet deserves expert care—and peace of mind for you.
Veterinary Anesthesia in Colorado Springs, Castle Rock, and Castle Pines
Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery provides anesthesia care led by board-certified veterinary anesthesiologists for pets needing dental or surgical treatment. If your dog or cat has been referred for a procedure that requires anesthesia, call (719) 536-9949 to book an appointment at one of our Southern Colorado locations.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (07/31/2025) Image by Fale Llorente Almansa from Pixabay
