Hi All,
I, unfortunately have to have my 5 month old little girl, Ochre, to the Vets at the end of the week, to have her baby upper canines removed… They are stuck fast, and already the bottom right adult canine, is slightly out of alignment:(
I was wondering if anybody has had, or knows of any Anaesthetics that I should steer clear of ??? I have a shocking fear of putting our dogs under any anaesthetic, but I know it has to be done. Im just a worry wort, tis all:D
Any info please...
saba.
Lots, here is a piece to read, and take to your vet. I took it to mine and he agreed completely. I believe this was originally put out in a magazine by the University of Missouri.
The sighthounds are an ancient group of dog breeds that have been selectively bred for high-speed pursuit of prey by sight. Probably as a consequence of this selection process, these dogs have a number of idiosyncrasies that can potentially adversely affect their anesthetic management. These include (1) nervous demeanor which can lead to stress-induced clinical complications, such as hyperthermia; (2) lean body conformation with high surface-area-to-volume ratio, which predisposes these dogs to hypothermia during anesthesia; (3) hematological differences such as a higher packed cell volume and lower serum protein compared with other dog breeds which may complicate interpretation of preanesthetic blood work; (4) Impaired biotransformation of drugs by the liver resulting in prolonged recovery from certain intravenous anesthetics, especially thiopental; and increased risks of drug interactions. Safe anesthetic management of sighthounds should include sedative premedication and appropriate use of analgesic drugs to minimize perioperative stress. Thiopental, or any other thiobarbiturate, should not be used in these dogs. Propofol, ketamine/diazepam combination, and methohexital are recommended alternative intravenous anesthetics. Avoid coadministration of agents that inhibit drug biotransformation, such as chloramphenicol. Inhalation anesthesia using isoflurane is the preferred anesthetic maintenance technique. Core body temperature should be monitored closely and techniques to minimize hypothermia should be employed both during anesthesia and into the recovery period.
Our Little Chafuko had a surgery a couple of months ago, We were so afraid of the risks and talked about it with our Vet.
He did also some recearch by himself and decided (with us) to give a anhestetic for a sighthound, we stayed during te beginning for (maybe upcoming stress) and the vet started with a little ammount till he got to sleep. He held him to sleep with special gas, so he could wake him up if neccesary, or give him more or less gas.
There also was during the whole surgery an assistant for Chafuko wich checked him the whole time.
It all ended very good, he didn't get any bad results from the anestetics…
This vet is fascinated bij Basenji's and is a real fan of our B's. I also worked there as a veterninairy assistand so i know them personally.
This is al happened at our place in the Netherlands, i don;t know how it is and what the vets use at you place.
But it's important to talk with your vet and tell him the risks..
If it's a good vet, he will listen and look for a right anesthetic
nomrbddgs,
Thank you so very much for that article. This is exactly what I was hoping someone would know about and post;) . I am probably worrying for nothing, but at least I am able to go in on Friday am, armed with the knowledge that there are issues, and how to deal with them, so I can try to get the absolute best result for her. Thank you again…
Buana,
Thanks for the story. I know she will be ok, but, its just such a worry. I am very happy with the Vets that I use, and I will be sure to drum it into their heads, exactly what anaesthetic to use, and those which need to be avoided:D . I am glad everything was ok with your Chafuko too...
saba.
You DO need to worry about it. If this was your health you would be proactive as well. As I said, the new vet actually sat there and read it when I was there and discussed the various drugs he did use and had no problem with using an alternate drug.
nomrbddgs,
Buana,
Thanks for the story. I know she will be ok, but, its just such a worry. I am very happy with the Vets that I use, and I will be sure to drum it into their heads, exactly what anaesthetic to use, and those which need to be avoided:D . I am glad everything was ok with your Chafuko too…
saba.
your'e welcome!
Sure it's a worry, last till you pick her up but with good vets, she's in good hands.. Don't show her to much youre stressed, maybee she feels it.
Good News, Good News…...........
Her left one has finally come out 
. It was the loosest of the two, but, unfortunately it isnt the problem one though... The right one is the one that is making the top adult one go a bit skewiff 
She had a lovely chicken wing this am, and I think that might have helped loosen it enough for it to come out !!! She will be given quite a few bones over the next couple of days, and I will be walking around with both my fingers and toes firmly crossed;)
I really wasn't aware there was such a big risk in administering anaesthetics to dogs. Yesterday I had Seren's teeth clean which of course means they administer anaesthetics. Fortunately she had no problems other than being a bit sleepy afterwards. The Vet did give me written instuctions as to what to expect and a number to call should she encounter any type of delayed reactions such as vomiting or diarrhea not eating or drinking.
Two years ago I had her teeth cleaned and one of her canine teeth removed, it had cracked below the gum line and she had no problem then either.
There is always a risk with surgery, even just a teeth cleaning… One thing that I always do is to have a blood panel done before, regardless of their age.. That way if something happens, you have a base line before the surgery. This hit home with me years ago when Kristii had a tooth removed (age 4) and my Vet at that time did not use the most up to date anesthesia for sighthounds. Kristii had a reaction to it and became very ill the next day and very dehydrated... Blood work then showed her kidneys at 25%, but because I didn't have blood work before to compare... so we had no idea if she had a small problem before or if it was just something to do with the dental. I call a good friend who is also a breeder and a Vet and she was sure it was just the anesthesia and told me what to do... Not that the Vet was much help (which is why that was the last time I ever went there).. but in a week she was back to her old self. It showed my the value of blood work...
Most Vets will insist on blood work for an older dog as many times they might have the start of liver or kidney problems which requires extra attention during surgery.
Even better news tonight…......
Ochres other tooth has also fallen out. I am quite surprised with this one, cos to me it felt like it was well and truly glued in 
. Good old tug toys and chicken bones, I say !!! I am so glad I dont have to go through with this surgery, financially and emotionally . Emotionally, more than anything, though !!!
I just want to say thanks again to nomrbddgs especially, for the sighthound protocol for anaesthetics. I will be making sure this is put into both Saba and Ochre's files for future reference too...
Tanza, I couldnt agree with you more... I am a nurse, so I probably can see and predict some of the problems/ issues/ complications etc, that can and do go wrong... I also fully agree that ALL dogs that are going under anaesthetic should ALWAYS have a pre surgery blood workup too. Your Kristii is a very good example of why it should be done. I am glad that the outcome for her was so good though...
saba.
I'm sorry you had to go through that Pat. As they say, Hindsight is 20/20. But we can all learn from what happened.
I'm sorry you had to go through that Pat. As they say, Hindsight is 20/20. But we can all learn from what happened.
Thanks Arlene… and exactly... I am the first one to push people to get blood work done.. and to always have a base line...
Saba... glad to hear that the tooth problem solved itself....
Yes Saba congrats on the problem solved! If I were you, I would discuss the anesthetics with the vet before something happens. You could be faced with an emergency and not get a chance to later.
