The word anaesthesia comes from Greek: an- “without” + aisthēsis “sensation”. Simply put, anesthesia is a controlled unconsciousness, where your pet's level of consciousness is adjusted so they don't feel pain and don't move. This is important when performing surgery or dentistry and you need the animal to stay very still and feel no discomfort. But how safe really is it?

Well, let’s look at the statistics. The anaesthetic death rate (meaning the number of animals that die during an anaesthetic are very low, 0.24 per cent in cats and 0.18 per cent in dogs).

Also, most complications are not seen during the anaesthetic itself, but in the immediate post op recovery period.

For this reason, a huge number of parameters are constantly measured when your pet is under and recovering from anaesthesia.

A full clinical exam and history are taken before any procedure, and in most cases, blood work is performed to highlight any risk factors.

An intravenous catheter is placed so that fluids can be given to support the circulatory system. A tube is applied to the airway so that each breath can be controlled and monitored.

The animal’s pulse, temperature, heart rate, respiration, oxygen concentration and blood pressure are all measured breath by breath by machines, which are monitored by a qualified veterinary nurse, who can spot changes immediately and adjust as needed.

The nurse is also looking to the animal for changes such as eye position, jaw tone and heart rate. They keep a log during the procedure so that any changes can be addressed quickly.

After the procedure is finished, the breathing tube remains in place providing oxygen until the animal is able to swallow, which is the last reflex to return and is a signal that the animal is able to have the tube removed.

The intravenous catheter stays in place until the animal is sitting and standing unaided and is fully recovered from the anaesthetic and able to go home.

With all this monitoring surprises during anaesthesia are rare and are usually quickly dealt with, but as with all procedures, there is always some risk.

Vets are constantly weighing up the risk vs benefit to the animal. Is the risk of this dental and anaesthetic worth the benefit to the animal of living pain free from dental disease?

Is the quality of life going to be improved by removing this cancerous growth? Is the cancer a greater risk to the animal’s life than the surgery?

These are not decisions we take lightly or without considering all the risks.

So, if we advise you to have your pet put under an anaesthetic for whatever reason, know that it is our job to think about their safety and do our utmost to mitigate the risks.

• Lucy Richardson graduated from Edinburgh University in 2005. She started CedarTree Vets in August 2012 with her husband, Mark. They live at the practice with their two children, Ray and Stella, and their dog, two cats and two guinea pigs. She is also the FEI national head veterinarian for Bermuda