My dog's heart rate is slow before dental surgery. Is it safe?

If your dog had a heart or lung problem, she would have a high heart rate as well as a high respiratory rate. That said, a heart rate of 50 per minute is quite low, so I am thinking you may not be counting right. Count the beats for 15 seconds and then multiply by 4. Do this three times in a row and then take the average.I recommend you trust your vet. If he says all is well, then all is well. He would not do the dental cleaning under anesthesia if he though there was an exceptional risk.

Oral sedatives are generally not safe for pets with heart conditions. However, there are heart friendly pre-anesthetic injectable drugs that the vet can give such as Midazolam and Butorphanol. Also keep in mind that most pets with a heart condition that are also symptomatic (coughing, exercise intolerance) should be evaluated by a cardiologist and cleared for surgical procedures like dentals to ensure they are good candidates and can handle the anesthesia. The main concern here is the anesthesia and not the sedative used beforehand. On the other hand, if she is not symptomatic (no coughing, exercise intolerance), and she currently is not on heart medications, then she is likely a good surgical candidate b/c her risk of having complications with anesthesia are generally low. I hope that this helps guide you towards the proper care for Chhutki and this dental procedure. Best wishes and take care. : )

Resting heart rate in the 60s for a small breed dog is a little low. However, I see dogs regularly (usually at least a little larger) that do have heart rates in the 60s. They are usually extremely activity dogs who get tons of exercise. If this isn't the case, you might want to consider a cardiac work up by your veterinarian and/or cardiologist prior to an anesthetic procedure. Chest x-rays and an echocardiogram would be the best place to start. Hope this helps.

Hi, Sorry to hear Dolly has this heart issue. Anesthesia is always risky, even for perfectly healthy pets. It puts a lot of responsibility for the heart to maintain adequate blood pressure and anesthesia is generally more risky with any heart issues than normal anesthesia. I would recommend that if the teeth just need a general cleaning, to not undergo the procedure and just maintain good dental health by brushing with doggie tooth paste and giving dental chews. If the teeth have a major issue such as a fracture or extraction that is necessary to address, it becomes balancing the risks of leaving a tooth inside that should come out, versus the risks of anesthesia. To fully assess the heart you can get an echocardiogram performed by a cardiologist and consult with them about anesthetic risks. Although if the teeth are fine otherwise, I'd say just maintain vigilant dental health and Dolly will be fine. Hope this helps! -Dr. Gordon

I recommend to discuss your concerns with your veterinarian. In general, pets should have their heart rate, their breathing rate, temperature and their blood pressure monitored at all times. Oscar should also have blood work ran before the procedure and make sure he has IV fluids as well. These are the best things you can provide to help ensure a safe procedure (though keep in mind there is always some risk, just like humans). I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It can be very scary to consider anesthesia in a dog with heart and kidney issues, for sure. But rotten teeth are also a very significant health issue. They become easily infected, and bacteria can get in the blood stream and will stick to areas that aren't functioning normally, like heart valves and kidneys. So by leaving the rotten, loose teeth in the mouth, you are at an increased risk of causing damage to the heart and kidneys. There are many precautions we take when considering anesthesia in these patients, but ultimately we do it to prolong their lives.

It would be a good idea to have an echo done before putting him under anesthesia for a dental cleaning. Having a heart murmur puts him at a greater risk and your vet just wants to make sure it is safe. The echo can determine if he has heart disease and determine how risky it would be to do the dental cleaning.