Veterinary Vaporizers

See a Side-by-Side Comparison of all veterinary anesthesia vaporizers.

Veterinary vaporizers are a crucial component of an anesthetic machine. It is crucial to ensure the correct amount of anesthetic agent are being delivered. An improperly functioning vaporizer could lead to an inappropriate level of anesthesia (ex. animals are given too little or too much) and can also cause the “loss” of a patient.

Frequency of Service

Your veterinary anesthesia machine should be maintained every year. Your machine should be inspected every year to ensure that it is not leaking. This can lead to a decrease in the anesthetic gases and may pollute your environment. “Just because you don’t have any problems keeping your animals safe doesn’t mean your staff isn’t breathing the gasses every day.” The technician should carry an anesthetic agent monitor at all times and provide readings from the vaporizer. These readings should only be used to determine the output of the vaporizer at the time of inspection. They are not intended as a calibration.

The majority of vaporizers available on the market are “in spec” if their output is within +-5% of the dial setting. If your output exceeds this, your technician may recommend that you send your vaporizer to be calibrated or exchange it for one with a higher output.

Isoflurane & Sevoflurane

These agents don’t contain Thymol so they don’t leave deposits in your vaporizer. They also require less frequent recalibrations. However, it is important to check the output every year when checking your anesthesia machine. It is expected that your anesthesia machine has a daily leak check.