Many pet owners are reluctant to have their animals receive anesthesia for veterinary care, including routine spay/neuter and dental procedures.

Do you have reason to worry about the effects of anesthesia on your pet? Are some pets at higher risk for negative consequences than others?

Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College and the University of Manchester in England analyzed veterinary health records of over 150,000 dogs to assess the true health risks of sedation and anesthesia in dogs.

The findings of the study reveal that the risk of death in dogs that undergo sedation or anesthesia is small. The risk of death in dogs that are anesthetized for any reason is 14 out of 10,000, with 10 out of 14 occurring within 48 hours of the procedure.

The risk of death among dogs (including puppies) anesthetized for spay/neuter is just 1 per 10,000.

There are some risk factors in dogs that can cause complications from anesthesia. The researchers say they include:

• Older age
• Poor overall health
• More urgent surgeries
• Certain breeds

Contrary to what you might expect, the data showed that flat-muzzled brachycephalic breeds did not have a higher risk of death from anesthesia than medium-nosed breeds. Surprisingly, long-nosed breeds had 4 times the risk of death compared to medium-nosed ones.

The authors recommend that veterinarians discuss the risks and benefits of sedation or anesthesia for individual dogs with owners. In most cases, the benefits outweigh the risks, but in some situations, depending on the age and health of the dog and the type of surgery, they urge careful planning and caution.

You can read the full text of the study in the journal Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia HERE.