My overweight dog needs spay & dental. Are anesthesia risks high?

There are a couple of reasons that they may have delayed Aubree's surgery. Overweight dogs have a lot more fat in their abdomen which makes the spay procedure more difficult. The surgeon today may have felt that the surgeon who is on tomorrow is a better surgeon or may have worried that they didn't have enough time on the schedule today to do both her spay and her dental. Overweight dogs will sometimes need more careful anesthetic monitoring, but that is always part of what we do when a dog is under anesthesia. Although anesthesia always has risks in any dog, we do everything we can to minimize those risks and certainly the health benefits of a spay and a dental cleaning are worth those risks. Remember, they would not have delayed Aubree's procedures unless they felt it was in her best interest, so they will do everything they can to take care of your baby. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and makes you feel better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Age is less important than overall physical health. If her pre anesthesia bloodwork comes back normal and her physical examination is normal before her procedures, the risk of anesthesia complications are low. Of course no anesthesia is without risk, but in an otherwise healthy dog the risk is pretty low. Now I don't know what type of dental procedure she will end up needing. If it's just a cleaning it should be relatively quick, and a spay in a dog Aubree's size is generally a 30 minute procedure so hopefully she won't be under anesthesia for more than, maybe two hours. That is generally an acceptable anesthesia time for a healthy dog. Now if she needs a lot of dental extractions your vet may talk about doing them at a different time since she will be under for the spay tomorrow as well. I hope this is helpful, and I hope Aubree is on the road to recovery soon!

The diagnosis of overweight is based on body condition as well as breed. Body condition is similar to the BMI score in people. When your dog is in good body condition you should be able to feel her ribs and hips with gentle pressure, the bones should be covered but able to be felt. This chart may help you visualize what she should look more like: https://www.vetcetera.com/body-condition-chart/ Getting a dental for your dog will help her a great deal in the future by keeping her mouth and teeth healthy. Tartar buildup causes gum disease and allows bacteria from the mouth to enter the bloodstream and cause heart problems. There is always some risk in general anesthesia, but as long as she is healthy otherwise and she has good results from preoperative bloodwork, that risk in reduced. Discuss your concerns with your vet, part of their job is to help you understand your pet's health and explain it in a way that you can understand so you can make the best decisions for her. If they are unable or unwilling to do so, you might consider finding a veterinarian that will.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The biggest issue with obesity is stress on the heart and the lungs. Breathing abnormalities while under or in recovery can be huge complications in obese dogs. With that being said I personally do not see higher anesthesia complications in obese dogs over lean dogs. Anesthetic complications are rare and unpredictable and affect all age groups. I hope this helps and I wish you and Maisey the best!

While any anesthesia carries a risk, spaying is generally a very safe procedure. The risks of anesthesia increase as a dog ages (I'm specifically referencing senior dogs like 10 years and older), but there are few risks for a young and healthy puppy. Your vet is right she could be ill in the future if you don't spay her. Not spaying her leaves her at risk of developing a pyometra in the future. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment, and spaying the dog is part of the treatment of a pyometra. That surgery is high risk due to the severity of the illness in the dog from the infection, and it costs thousands to perform. In addition, dogs who are spayed are at an increased risk of developing mammary tumors. Of these mammary tumors, 50% of them are malignant. For her health, it is best to spay her now. I would speak with your vet about getting it done. I hope this helps!

Great question! Yes, it is safe to combine anesthetic procedures in a dog. Dogs can safely be under anesthesia for hours depending on the procedure needed, although in her case, it shouldn't take multiple hours for these procedures to be done. The vet wouldn't have recommended doing both at the same time if they didn't feel it was safe to do on her. Speak with your vet about your concerns, but this is fine to do. I hope this helps!

Just as in people, anesthetic procedures are not without risk. However, if she is deemed healthy and will be adequately monitored during the procedure, the risk is minimized. She should have a full blood panel performed beforehand to make sure she is healthy to undergo the procedure. Your vet should also do a good physical exam to ensure she does not have a heart murmur or other health concerns. Wishing you both the best!