Balcatta Veterinary Hospital is proud to announce the arrival of our Intensive Care Unit ventilator. We are currently the only private full-service veterinary hospital in Perth who is able to provide such a state-of-the-art ventilator for the needs of our critically ill patients.

 

 

A ventilator is a machine that breaths for a patient. Each breath is regulated by the machine rather than by the patient.

 

The reason for using a ventilator is that it allows us to ensure the patient is breathing in enough oxygen into their lungs, and breathing out enough carbon dioxide from their lungs. This regulates the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the patient’s bloodstream, which is important to maintain the body’s normal functioning. We would also use a ventilator to prevent the patient from going into respiratory arrest (stop breathing) due to trauma or an illness.

 

We might want to use a ventilator on a patient in many situations, including:

1.      Respiratory arrest – if the animal has stopped breathing

2.      Respiratory depression – if the animal is not breathing enough to maintain normal oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. This might occur due to:

a.       Injury or disease of the thorax (chest)

b.      Head trauma or disease

c.       Some toxins, such as snake bite toxicity or blowfish toxicity

d.      Surgery inside the thorax (thoracotomy)

e.       Problems that may interfere with breathing during surgery, such as obesity, body shape issues, position of the body and anaesthetic drugs used

f.       Long anaesthetics over 90 minutes

g.      Use of other drugs which reduce the activity of muscles associated with breathing

 

 

Having a ventilator means that if your pet is ever critically ill we are fully equipped to appropriately manage their case to the highest standard. This gives your pet that best possible chance of making a full recovery from their illness or injury.