The Statistics on General Anesthesia

Author: Emi Kooyman | Founder

Any time a pet (or human, for that matter) undergoes anesthesia, there is always  a  risk of a complication, up to and including death. There is no such thing as risk free anesthesia. 

As a general rule, the basic data on Anesthesia states:

1. For healthy pets, anesthesia is very safe. The risk of a perianesthetic fatality is

   1. • 1 in 2,000 for dogs

      • 1 in 1,000 for cats.

2. For pets with significant health problems or emergencies, the risk is higher 1 in 100 

Pets with higher Anesthesia risk include those with:

1. Concurrent Health conditions (Any systemic medical condition makes your pet a higher risk:  ie: Heartworm disease, Endocrine disorders, Parasites, anemia, etc).

2. Emergency procedures (Pyometra).

3. Underweight or Overweight.

4. Breed sensitivities (brachycephalic breeds, MDR1 gene mutation dogs).

5. Previous anesthesia complications