Clients are often concerned at the prospect of their pet undergoing anesthesia. This concern can cause delay in certain care, such as dental procedures. With thoughtful communication, you can help to dispel concerns and support the treatment of their pet. Here, we’ll address four common client concerns about the anesthesia process and how you can effectively communicate with nervous pet parents to alleviate their fears and keep their pet’s health on track.

Is anesthesia necessary?

Owners’ fears about anesthesia often stem from a concern that the animal won’t wake up or have a rough recovery from the procedure. You might meet some resistance, hesitancy, and questions when you initially broach the subject with your client. Be mindful of their nervousness and provide them with information about the process while emphasizing the reasons why their pet needs the procedure and why anesthesia is therefore vital. Clients may question the necessity of their pet undergoing anesthesia for dental cleaning. In this situation, explain your safeguard procedures, such as pre-procedure bloodwork, along with the benefits provided by anesthetic treatment, which include pain management, and the ability to perform a more thorough exam. For nervous owners, use reassuring language and highlight key facts to help alleviate misunderstandings and worries. Explain that the likelihood of anesthetic death is low (0.05% for healthy dogs and 0.11% in cats).¹ Talk them through the process, including induction, monitoring, and recovery.

What happens to my pet in surgery?

Make it clear to the owner that their animal will never be left unattended. Explain the processes, safeguards and equipment that will be used to offset any complications that might arise. Plus, with their pet fully sedated, explain that your team will be able to thoroughly examine and treat conditions such as periodontal disease, pain-free. Most importantly, reassure the pet parent of your team’s experience, competence, and dedication to ensuring their pet receives the best experience.

What happens after the procedure?

Recovery can vary from one patient to the next, and the same goes for owner expectations. It’s important to walk clients through the process and prepare them for how their pet may look and behave at pick up. Depending on the planned procedure, explain that the animal may be shaved and may act drowsy or disoriented for some time. Discussing that these are all things to be expected will help prepare owners for this step in the process aftercare. On the day of the procedure, emailing an update and offering owners a photo of their pet as they recover in the clinic post-surgery will help to reassure them that everything has gone well.

At-home care

It’s useful to discuss factors like restrictions on exercise or meals, the cadence of follow-up visits, and how they can administer medications. Check in with your client the day after the procedure to ensure recovery is progressing as expected and answer any questions. Providing excellent care and support of your client’s concerns is key to ensuring client retention and can help to encourage acceptance of procedures as needed in the future.

^1. 2020 AAHA Anesthesia and Monitoring Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. http://aaha.org/globalassets/02-guidelines/2020-anesthesia/anesthesia_and_monitoring-guidelines_final.pdf. Accessed October 2022.