To many pet owners, “anesthesia” is a word that invokes feelings of anxiety, fear and uncertainty. However, there may come a time at which your pet needs to undergo anesthesia for one reason or another.
So what’s the deal with anesthesia, anyway? Is it as dangerous as people make it seem?
This article discusses the top 4 myths and misconceptions regarding anesthesia for pets and aims to uncover the science and truth behind the mystery.
Myth #1: Anesthesia is dangerous.
The truth: All things considered, anesthesia today is actually very safe.
The first common myth about anesthesia is that it is inherently dangerous.
While the risk of undergoing anesthesia will never be none, the likelihood of a cat or dog passing away under anesthesia nowadays is between 5 and 10 pets out of 10,000. This amounts to less than 0.1% of cases! While no anesthetic deaths will ever be acceptable, this figure is ultimately very small.
In addition, did you know that a pet’s vital parameters are closely monitored throughout anesthesia, just as they would be if you were to undergo anesthesia?
All in all, putting an animal under anesthesia has never been safer than it is today.
Myth #2: My pet is too old for anesthesia.
The truth: Your pet's anesthetic risk is determined by his or her overall state of health, not his or her age.
The next common belief is that the older a pet gets, the more dangerous anesthesia becomes. The reality is, age really is just a number.
Aging is not a disease. However, aging is correlated to an increased risk of developing certain diseases. Ultimately, it is these diseases that can potentially play a role in how an animal does under anesthesia. So, the key to determining a pet’s anesthetic risk is to assess his or her overall state of health and screen for these diseases!
Bloodwork, a urinalysis, and x-rays are all routine tests that may be recommended to screen for diseases prior to anesthesia. Additional tests may be recommended too, at the discretion of your veterinarian. A thorough physical exam is very important too.
Ultimately, as long your pet is determined to be in good health, the risk of anesthesia is low, no matter your pet’s age.
Myth #3: The benefits of anesthesia never outweigh the risks.
The truth: Sometimes a single anesthetic procedure can greatly improve your pet's quality or quantity of life.
Simply put, there are circumstances in which anesthesia can be used to improve your pet’s quality of life or even extend your pet’s lifespan.
One example is a situation in which your pet develops a cancerous or otherwise harmful lump on his or her body. A surgery under anesthesia to remove the mass may be all that is needed to stop your pet from suffering and avoid the spread of cancer.
Related article: What To Do If You Find A Lump On Your Pet
Another very common scenario is if your pet is diagnosed with dental disease. Dental issues are extremely common in older dogs and cats and can result in chronic pain, infection and suffering for your pet. In addition, chronic dental disease can harm your pet’s heart, liver, and other organs, which can compromise your pet’s longevity. Clearly, an anesthetic procedure to address your pet’s dental issues can have huge benefits.
Myth #4: Everyone I know has an anesthesia "horror story."
The truth: It is convenient to blame anesthesia when an unexpected or unfortunate event occurs.
You may have heard a story from a neighbor, coworker or friend of a friend about a pet that apparently passed away as a result of going under anesthesia. But are these stories really as they seem?
Unfortunately, anesthesia is a convenient target for blame. When a pet unexpectedly passes away, it’s common for their owners to think back to the last significant event that occurred in their pet’s life, no matter how long ago that event may have taken place. Since the need for anesthesia becomes more and more likely as an animal gets older, it’s a common that this last “big thing” that comes to mind is going under anesthesia. Interestingly, the unfortunate event occurs days, weeks or even months after anesthesia in most of these stories. But research shows that complications from anesthesia typically occur during or within about three hours of anesthesia! So in the majority of these cases, it’s much more likely that the pet simply passed away from an unrelated, natural cause, having nothing to do with anesthesia at all.
Ironically, the anesthetic procedure in question probably in fact improved the quality of life of those animals, allowing them to live out their days more comfortably and happily until their time ultimately came.
In the end, anesthesia is not without some risk, no matter if an animal is in perfect health, ill, young, or a senior. However, anesthesia is a lot safer than most believe it to be, especially when the appropriate steps are taken beforehand.
Since every situation is different, make sure to talk to your veterinarian about the potential benefits and risks of putting your pet under anesthesia.
And with that, you have now learned the top 4 myths surrounding anesthesia in pets, and the truths behind each common misconception. As always, we hope the information in this article will help you make the best decisions for you and your pet for years to come.
