Friends of the Riney Canine Health Center,
Most dog owners will have a dog who needs anesthesia at some point. The lead-up can feel stressful, waiting for the call after the procedure can be stressful, and even once they’re home and still a little groggy, it’s hard not to worry. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes to make anesthesia as safe as possible, and this month I want to walk you through what that looks like so you feel informed and prepared if or when it ever comes up.
A quick note before we get started: most of what I’ll cover here applies to planned or elective anesthesia, when there is time to prepare ahead of the procedure. Emergency anesthesia may look a little different because your veterinary team may need to move quickly and make decisions based on the circumstances. Many of the same principles still apply, but some of the preparation may need to be adjusted depending on the situation.
Safe anesthesia starts well before your dog goes under. Beforehand, your veterinarian will look at your dog’s overall health, including a physical exam and a review of their medical history and medications. Bloodwork is often part of the pre-anesthetic evaluation because it can uncover things an exam alone may not, such as early changes in kidney or liver function. Those findings may change the anesthetic plan or prompt your veterinarian to recommend additional testing. I’m often asked whether anesthesia is safe for senior dogs, and it’s important to remember that old age itself is not a disease. A healthy 12-year-old can be a perfectly good candidate for anesthesia, while a much younger dog with significant health problems may need more planning and precautions. That said, older dogs are more likely to have underlying conditions, which is why the pre-anesthetic evaluation is so important. It helps your veterinary team identify potential risks and tailor the plan to your individual dog.
The instruction you’re probably most familiar with is fasting, or withholding food for a certain amount of time before anesthesia. Anesthetic drugs temporarily reduce protective reflexes like swallowing. If a dog vomits or regurgitates while under anesthesia, stomach contents can enter the airway and potentially cause a serious lung infection called aspiration pneumonia. Having an emptier stomach helps reduce that risk. Fasting recommendations can vary, and very young puppies or dogs with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, may need a different plan. Always follow your veterinarian’s specific instructions. And if your dog accidentally gets some breakfast that morning (we get it—morning routines are hard to break!), don’t panic. Just tell your veterinary team, and they will decide whether the procedure needs to be delayed or rescheduled.
You may also be prescribed medications to give at home the night before or the morning of the procedure. Depending on your dog and the procedure, these might include medications to help with nausea or vomiting. If your dog gets nervous at the veterinary hospital, your veterinarian may also prescribe medications such as trazodone or gabapentin to help reduce anxiety before the visit. For some dogs, these medications can make a big difference, not only in how they feel when they arrive, but also in making the entire experience and recovery a little smoother.
One question that sometimes catches pet owners off guard is when the veterinary team asks about CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) before anesthesia in the unlikely event of an emergency. It can feel like a scary question when you’re already worried about your dog, but it’s a routine part of planning for a procedure. While emergencies requiring CPR are rare for most healthy pets undergoing anesthesia, no anesthetic procedure is completely without risk. Having that conversation ahead of time means your veterinary team can respond rapidly if an emergency does occur, which is an important part of providing effective CPR.
So, once you’ve done all the prep, what happens after your veterinary team takes your dog? This may vary depending on the procedure and hospital, but often, the first step is a premedication, which is usually an injection that combines medications for pain relief and anxiety to help your dog become relaxed and sleepy. An IV catheter is commonly placed before anesthesia so medications and fluids can be given quickly if needed and to provide an important safety measure during the procedure.
Next comes the medication that takes your dog from being sleepy to fully anesthetized. Once they are adequately anesthetized, a breathing tube is placed in their airway. This helps protect the airway and allows the veterinary team to deliver oxygen and anesthetic gas while keeping your dog at the appropriate depth of anesthesia.
While your dog is under anesthesia, your veterinary team is monitoring much more than whether they’re simply “asleep.” Depending on the procedure and hospital, monitoring may include heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen levels, breathing, body temperature and anesthetic depth. These measurements help the team recognize changes quickly and adjust medications or other aspects of the anesthetic plan as needed.
Your dog will continue to be monitored as they wake up from anesthesia after the procedure. If the procedure involved pain or discomfort, your veterinary team will also continue to assess their comfort and provide additional pain medication if needed.
Then comes the part you’ve probably been waiting for: going home!
It’s normal for your dog to be tired after a big day. They may be a little wobbly, sleep more than usual, or only be interested in part of their normal dinner. Give them a quiet, comfortable place to rest and follow the specific instructions your veterinarian gives you about food, medications, activity and incision care. Some dogs also have a mild cough after anesthesia, which can happen because of the breathing tube. This should generally improve in the first few days.
It’s also worth asking before your dog’s procedure what to do if you have a concern after you get home, especially if your veterinary hospital isn’t open overnight. Knowing ahead of time who to call or where to go if something doesn’t seem right can give you peace of mind and help you feel prepared. The big things you need to watch for after anesthesia will depend in part on the procedure your dog had, but little or no interest in food, repeated vomiting, uncontrolled pain, significant bleeding, extreme lethargy, difficulty breathing, or a worsening cough are reasons to seek veterinary attention promptly. If you’re not sure, or your dog just seems off, give your veterinarian a call.
Anesthesia may sound scary, but so much is going on behind the scenes to keep your dog safe and in good hands. Hopefully, the next time your dog needs anesthesia, you’ll feel a little more comfortable knowing what’s happening behind the scenes, and a little more confident knowing what to expect.
As always, thank you for being a Riney Canine Health Center member. We look forward to catching up with you next month!
Dr. Aly Cohen
Extension Veterinarian
Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center
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