Getting On The Exam Table

[macoduck]

Many have posted here that their vets never put greys up on an exam table.

I've had issues with my vet over putting my dogs on the table for basic checkups in the recent past.

 

My question here is in regards to getting a surgical or dental procedure that requires anesthesia:

Are the dogs fully awake when placed on the table?

Are the dogs fully/slightly sedated on the floor before being put on the table?

Are the dogs fully/slightly awake when being taken off the table?

[Guest SquanHound]

I have only had one vet try to put Ping up on the table during a routine visit. He did ok up there, but getting down he spooked a bit and the vet really had to hold onto him to prevent from dropping him. On or next visit the vet kept him on the floor. I am sure he is on the table for his dentals, but I always assumed that he was already seidated (mildly or completely) before going up there because I know he would not lie down on the table.

[dmswartzfager]

I don't usually work mornings, when we usually do our surgeries and dentals, but from what I have seen in "unscheduled surgery" situations, we sedate the patient while they are on the floor (assuming a larger dog) and then pick them up and put them on the table. For smaller patients like cats and small dogs, we might sedate while they are on the table being held by an assistant, and then someone stays with the patient at all times to make sure they don't wake up enough to work themselves off the table (regardless of size).

 

Because we do have someone with the patient at all times when they are on the table, we try to get them off of it as soon as possible so we can have that set of hands back, and smaller patients are usually put into a cage in the treatment room while they wake up, and larger patients are placed on the floor in the treatment room, and as soon as they are able to stand up, we move them down to the kennel area.

 

So basically, with greys and other similarly-sized dogs, they are sedated when they are moved on and off the table. It also depends a little on the type of sedation used and how long the procedure was as to how awake they are.

[tbhounds]

For most procedures the dogs are given pre-surgical drugs prior to being put up on the table (gezz, that just sounds scary) With some of the larger breeds (or the fatty pants dogs) they are given the induction drugs while still on the floor, then are very quickly put on the table

[Guest LynnM]

I and the gals I've worked with always hoisted the dog onto the table so that they're sitting or laying on their side, given the induction meds, shifted them to sternal recumbency, tubed them, then positioned and prepped them for the vet. 70 pounds of conscious dog is much easier to hoist than 70 pounds of dead weight.

 

For other procedures, I table my dogs if we're doing something that requires the dog to lie down (like a splint change). I usually table them for dealing with extremeties (legs).... oftentimes it's much easier to do what you need to do when you can extend the leg over the edge of the table and have access from all angles.

 

If the dog is being treated while standing, I handle them on the floor (for a greyhound size dog). Tabling a big dog is no big deal as long as the dog is tractable or the person doing the restraining knows what they're doing.

 

Post-surgery, we got them off the table while they were still completely unconscious and sat with them at least (usually well after) until they were able to swallow and we removed the tube.

Lynn

Edited November 10, 2007 by LynnM

[Guest Tenderhearts]

My vet sedates before the dog is ever put on the table. After a surgical procedure, or dental, the dog is monitored for a while after the iso is turned off and still intubated. Then he/she is moved to a kennel while still sedated. Some dogs will thrash around when coming out of anesthesia, and it's best not to have them on the table when that happens.

[greyhoundlov]

I was at a vet's office with a table that lifts and flips. So if the dog is standing, once the table gets to the desired height, it turns so that the dog is on its side.