Is it dangerous to anesthetize my pet?

ANESTHETIC COMPLICATIONS

Complications related to anesthesia are mainly respiratory and/or cardiac. They can happen not only during the anesthesia, but also afterwards.

Respiratory complications

• Aspiration of stomach content in the lungs. Anesthetic drugs can make the pet throw up. This is more common if he ate not long before.
• Airway obstruction. Anesthetic drugs can cause spasms in the larynx and make the secretions in the throat more viscous, thus creating a plug.

Cardiac complications

• Hypotension. The drop of blood pressure lowers the amount of blood and oxygen carried to the major organs. Consequently, these organs can stop working.
• Causes of hypotension during anesthesia are:
  • Hypovolemia (severe blood loss)
  • Hypoxia (decrease of oxygen level in the blood)
  • Hypercarbia (increase of carbonic gas in the blood)
  • Normal effect of certain anesthetic drugs
• Arythmias (irregular heart rythm). The abnormal nerve conduction in the heart can lead to cardiac arrest or to ineffective cardiac contractions. Organ perfusion can then be affected.

SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS

Possible complications that are common to every surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Oedema (swelling)
• Pain
• Surgical wound infection

Complications specific to the surgery performed can occur also.

Anesthetic and/or surgical complications can occur during a procedure done under general anesthesia.

Here is how to reduce the anesthetic risks:

• By doing blood work before the anesthesia. This will allow us to:
  • verify the condition of the organs that metabolize and eliminate anesthetic drugs from your pet's system;
  • detect inapparent underlying diseases that can increase the risks of complications during anesthesia.

We could postpone the procedure to a later date if we find abnormalities in your pet's blood. Or, we might use other types of anesthetic drugs or change the dosages.

• By placing an intravenous catheter. The catheter provides a constant access to a vein during and after surgery. Therefore, we could rapidly administer to your pet fluids and drugs in case of an emergency. This is particularly important if his blood pressure drops or if he goes into cardiac arrest.
• By giving IV fluids. Fluids help to:
  • keep the blood pressure normal so that the amount of blood that reaches the main organs (heart, kidneys, liver, brain) is adequate throughout the anesthesia;
  • eliminate anesthetic drugs faster.

Here is how to reduce the surgical risks:

By doing the surgery with the surgical laser instead of with a scalpel blade when it is possible to do so. Indeed, the laser reduces:

• pain
• bleeding
• oedema (swelling)
• the risk of surgical wounds getting infected

Other preventive measures depend on the type of surgery performed and on the pet's condition.

No one is immune to possible anesthetic and surgical complications. However, there are many ways for us to make your pet's anesthesia as safe as possible whil he is under.

If you have questions about your pet's anesthetic safety, communicate with our staff in one of our facilities.

Text added online on May 13^th 2020