Is anesthesia necessary?

For the MRI to give your veterinarian the answers they need, your pet must remain very still. If any motion occurs, test results will be negatively affected. Since we can't ask your pet to hold still, they must be anesthetized. Your consent is required before any anesthesia will be given.

How do I prepare my pet for an MRI?

Preparation

Because your pet must be anesthetized for the MRI, withhold all food, including treats, starting at 10:00 p.m. the night before the MRI. Water is permissible until 6 a.m. on the day of the procedure.

If your pet is currently on any medications, please ask your veterinarian if they should be given the morning of the scan. During the admission process, the Companion MRI professionals will be happy to answer any additional questions you might have regarding the MRI. We will also ask that you sign a consent form for the procedure and for the administration of general anesthesia.

Is the MRI safe for my pet?

Your pet's MRI procedure is safe and painless. Some pets are uncomfortable because of other health problems. We will take great care in ensuring their comfort. The safety of MRI has been tested on the human side of medicine for nearly twenty years. Complication rates for the nearly 10 million people who have had an MRI are very low. Any risk to your pet arises from the need for anesthesia during the procedure. While risk can't be completely eliminated, CMRI takes extreme care in anesthetizing your pet. In fact, your pet will be anesthetized using many of the same medications that human anesthesiologists use when anesthetizing pediatric and critically ill patients.

To ensure your pet's safety:

  • Your veterinarian will complete blood work and any other testing needed and submit results to CMRI before we anesthetize your pet. This way, we can adjust our anesthetic plan specifically to your pet.
  • Your pet will be closely monitored by an experienced veterinarian and veterinary technician before, during, and after the procedure. Your pet's heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen concentration, and other parameters will be closely watched.