If your beloved four-legged friend crosses the rainbow bridge after a long and fulfilled life, it is very painful for the whole family.
However, if your dog results in a anesthesia has died, possibly during a routine operation, desperation and anger also spread quickly.
The following post is designed to help you understand and deal with your loss.
Causes: Why did my dog die after the anesthesia?
If your dog is due for an operation that requires anesthesia, you usually worry about the operation itself.
If you’ve had an operation yourself, you probably remember your preliminary talk with the anesthesiologist, who told you about the Risks of forthcoming anesthesia cleared up.
There are several reasons that can lead to the death of a dog when anesthetized. Essentially come for it 5 causes in question.
1. The dog’s age
At very old dogs complications often arise. However, age itself plays less of a role.
Very old dogs often have existing or undiagnosed previous illnesseswhich are not insignificant for the vet when dosing the anesthetic.
Also very young dogs have a higher risk. Whose immune system is not yet fully developed and they are also subject to those that are difficult to assess hormone fluctuations.
2. Dog’s size and weight
Miniature dog breeds have a higher risk of dying from anesthesia. Because of her light weight it’s very easy to do here overdoses at the anesthesia. Small dog breeds also hypothermia faster.
Similar risks are also subject very large dog breedsbut also overweight dogs.
3. The dog breed
Some breeds react to anesthesia more sensitive than others. These include, above all Greyhounds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels as well as all terrier breeds.
Also subject also very short-snouted and flat-faced breedslike for example bulldogs statistically higher anesthesia mortality.
4. Postoperative monitoring
According to an American study, about half of the anesthesia-related deaths in dogs take place in the first few hours after the operation.
However, postoperative monitoring is always necessary. According to the study, the risk of operations performed in the afternoon is higher than in the morning.
In the late afternoon, veterinary practices are usually more frequented. The staff has less time as a result, and they also tend to be more exhausted and less attentive at the end of the working day.
5. Anesthetic errors and lack of preparation
If an operation is pending, the veterinarian should take a blood sample and have it examined in a laboratory.
Also he should die for the dosage history of the dog know. It’s about Pre-existing illness and previous surgeriesespecially if complications have already arisen here.
Also allergies and intolerances are important insights for the veterinarian.
What can I do now?
The sudden loss of your dog is very painful. However, it would be wrong to immediately blame the attending veterinarian for this.
Try to get some rest and then look for one enlightening conversation with the vet.
Question the five possible causes described above. A reputable veterinarian will be able to answer all of your questions with a clear conscience.
If in doubt, there is also one Autopsy via the veterinary office possible. This is a requirement if you plan to sue the vet for medical malpractice.
How do I deal with the loss?
Almost every town, no matter how small, has one animal funeral home. They are often available to you 24 hours a day with a hotline advice and action to the side.
Good to know:
Funeral directors take care of everything from picking up the dog’s body from the vet to burial.
They will help you with that sensitive also at the grief management and advise you on how to proceed. A burial in a pet cemetery is just as possible as an urn that you can take home with you.
Your faithful four-legged friend will always have a place in your heart and cannot be replaced by anything or anyone. Maybe you just visit an animal shelter to have a look around without obligation.
How dangerous is anesthesia in dogs?
The risk of a dog dying as a result of anesthesia is statistically low 0.05 percent. That’s one death for every 2,000 anesthetics.
After a second study, 100,000 cases were examined and a mortality rate of 0.17 percent calculated. This corresponds to one death for every 600 anaesthesias.
Conclusion
Every anesthesia in a dog always offers a residual risk. The dose is always individually adjusted to the dog.
In order to minimize the residual risk, a thorough preliminary examination is necessary before the operation. The veterinarian should also have all information about previous illnesses or previous illnesses.
An experienced veterinarian should be able to assess age, size or breed-related risks.
However, the greatest risk is when previous illnesses and intolerances are not known, for example because the dog has had previous owners.
You are welcome to leave your own experiences here in your own comment.