Anesthesia Concerns For Our Canine Companions

Many of our Canine friends may be sensitive to anesthesia, and we have each heard the "horror stories" of an animal dying during or after a surgical procedure. There is a very real concern for our pet's health and safety, and a need for Pet owners to be well informed. Veterinarians treat many different types and breeds of animals, but it is YOUR responsibility to make certain the Veterinarian treating your Pet is familiar with the potential health risks in your particular breed. Choosing your Vet should be just as important as choosing your family doctor. Ask questions!!! If the Vet is unfamiliar with your breed, and brushes off your concerns, then seek another Vet. Your relationship with your Vet should be built on trust and confidence--a partnership that will help ensure the health of your Pets.

I will share the fruits of my research into the "Dangers of Anesthesia"--but will remind you that I am NOT a Vet. Please make all decisions with the help of your veterinarian. The following are the results of this research: Anesthesia certainly does have risks, but it is NOT a guaranteed death sentence. Your vet is anesthetizing and performing surgical procedures on many animals each week----most likely without mishap. One search engine turned up over 3 million documents with the key words Anesthesia+dogs+danger. Unfortunately, most of these documents weren't even related to the information I was seeking. In 1989, Robert M. Brown, D.V.M., wrote "Anesthesia For Great Pyrenees an Update". . This article, though written over 10 years ago, is still of great value. The most important rule of thumb is that Anesthesia should ALWAYS be administered, not by weight, but to the point of effectiveness!

One of the greatest dangers with my breed, Great Pyrenees, seems not to be solely susceptibility, but the over estimation of body weight. Make certain you have an accurate body weight on your Pet. Almost every Vet's office will have a walk on scale--make use of it!!!

Currently, the safest anesthesia appears to be isoflurane. Isoflurane is also the most expensive, but it is extremely safe. Older dogs, ill dogs, and those dogs with slower metabolisms, (such as Great Pyrenees), do very well with this anesthetic. It is not metabolized by the kidneys, as are the older gases, and it produces complete anesthesia for any type of surgery.

The most important safeguard comes prior to the administering of the anesthetic. Your vet can perform a blood panel to determine the likelihood of potential problems. Since anesthetics are eliminated from the blood stream, through both the liver and kidneys, these functions should be checked. Your vet should also be made aware of any existing or previous health problems---such as respiratory problems or heart murmurs. This allows your vet to be prepared should problems develop during anesthesia and surgery.

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