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How safe is anesthesia for your dog or cat?
One of the most common concerns my clients have in regards to their pet’s safety deals with the risk of anesthesia. So, let’s take a look at how safe anesthesia is and some of the questions you may want to ask your veterinarian if your pet needs to undergo anesthesia.
Reasons Pets Need to Undergo Anesthesia
This is pretty straight-forward in many cases. If your pet needs to undergo surgery such as a spay or neuter, he or she will need to be anesthetized.
Anesthesia is also necessary for proper dental care. For those of you wondering if your pet’s teeth can be cleaned without anesthesia, the answer is no. Plaque and tartar that build up under the gumline causes the most damage to your pet’s mouth and cannot be properly removed while your pet is awake. In addition, a thorough examination of the mouth and each individual tooth requires anesthesia, as do radiographs (x-rays) of your pet’s mouth when they are necessary.
Your pet may experience other situations where anesthesia is necessary as well, such as growth removals, exploratory surgeries and more.
How Safe Is Anesthesia for My Pet?
Dr. Patty Khuly recently wrote about Anesthesia Myths and Urban Legends in Veterinary Medicine in her blog and she provides some answers to this question. I agree with her that while there is always some risk of an unexpected adverse reaction with anesthesia, it is generally safe for most healthy pets. Even pets that are ill can often be anesthetized safely if attention is paid to the anesthetic protocol used and the animal is monitored properly during the anesthesia and through the recovery period.
What Should I Know If My Pet Needs To Be Anesthetized
Your veterinarian should be prepared to develop an anesthetic protocol based on your pet’s individual needs and should closely monitor your pet from the time your pet is “put under” to the time he wakes up and is safely recovered from the anesthesia.
- Knowing as much about your pet’s health as possible before anesthesia is a necessity. Tell your veterinarian if your pet is receiving any medications or has been acting abnormally.
- A thorough examination should always be performed for your pet before anesthesia is induced.
- A routine blood screen prior to anesthesia is always a good idea. In a healthy pet, the blood screen will most often be normal. However, it is not impossible to find unexpected abnormalities even in young healthy pets and it is always better to know about these abnormalities ahead of time. In some cases, if your pet’s blood screen is abnormal, postponing the surgery may be the best option. In others, abnormalities may trigger a change in your pet’s anesthetic protocol.
- If your pet is undergoing surgery, pain medication should be started prior to surgery and should be continued as needed after surgery. Preventing pain from occurring will make your pet’s recovery from anesthesia smoother and will speed healing afterward.
- Your pet should be monitored throughout the entire anesthesia period and until he is safely recovered from the anesthetic. Parameters measured should include pulse rate, respiratory rate, EKG, pulse oximetry (the amount of oxygen saturation in the blood), temperature, blood pressure and the amount of carbon dioxide in the air your pet is breathing out (known as end-tidal CO2). The level and depth of anesthesia should also be monitored closely.
- In most cases, your pet will have a tube placed in his throat (called an endotracheal tube) to help him breath. He may also have a catheter placed in one of his legs to deliver fluids during the surgery if necessary and give access to a vein for delivery of life-saving medications in the event of an unexpected complication. Your pet’s leg may be shaved where the catheter is placed.
- It is important to keep your pet warm during and after the surgical period. Especially with small pets, body temperature can fall quickly and supplemental heat may be necessary to keep the temperature normal and ease recovery.
Don’t be afraid to ask your veterinarian what to expect before, during and after the anesthesia period. Also, don’t be afraid to ask about the specifics. Ask your veterinarian how your pet will be monitored and for how long. Ask if blood work will be performed prior to surgery and whether an examination will be performed.
Be certain to follow any instructions carefully. Your veterinarian may recommend that your fast your pet for a time before inducing anesthesia.
Anesthesia will never be completely risk-free. However, with proper attention to detail, complications can be minimized and, for most pets, anesthesia can be performed relatively safely. It is also worth mentioning that risking anesthesia in order to provide things like proper dental care can extend your pet’s life expectancy as well as improving his quality of life.
Photo Courtesy of AmazonCARES/Flickr.com
About Lorie Huston, DVM
Lorie Huston is a veterinarian, pet health and pet care expert, professional writer, blogger, social media and blogging consultant, and SEO strategist.
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hemp says
Your veterinarian should be able to answer questions about how your pets vital signs will be monitored while under anesthesia and who will be responsible for monitoring your pet…..You should also ask about general post-anesthesia care specifically what signs to look out for at home that would signal that your pet is not recovering normally from anesthesia. Any abnormal behaviors such as difficulty walking vomiting or decreased appetite should be reported immediately to your veterinarian…..As an owner you also need to be aware of what services are included in the cost of the procedure.