Dear Dr. Robin: My veterinarian told me my dog’s teeth need to be cleaned. She said Major would have to receive general anesthesia in order for the procedure to be done correctly. She said Major should have some blood tests before he goes under. He’s nearly 10 years old, and he’s never been sick a day in his life. Is this blood work just an unnecessary added expense?
– C.D., Arvada
A: In the bad old days, veterinarians would simply scrape the hardened, bacteria-laden dental calculus from the teeth and call the job done.
Now we know better, and understand dental procedures are useless unless the patient is asleep. General anesthesia is never an innocent event, so it is up to your veterinarian to prepare Major for as safe a procedure as possible.
Despite advances in methods and materials used, no anesthesia is completely without risk. Isoflurane and sevoflurane are currently accepted as the safest gas anesthesia veterinarians have available to their patients.
As for pre-anesthesia blood testing – would you or I receive general anesthesia and NOT have blood work done prior to the procedure? The answer is no. The details of organ system function cannot be understood without a little help. A physical examination has its limitations. We need to be able to look deeper, and that’s what laboratory analysis allows us to do. Most pre-anesthesia blood work consists of a complete blood count (CBC) and a series of blood chemistries. Vets look at the numbers and structure of the blood cells made by bone marrow. If there is an underlying infection, we can pick it up by noticing an elevation in white blood cell (WBC) count. Anemia means having too few red blood cells (RBCs).
Platelets are cells that help the animal’s blood clot properly, and are counted routinely in the CBC. A patient in Major’s age category is a candidate for a complete blood chemistry panel. This includes tests that reflect liver function, kidney function, protein, various minerals, and blood sugar (looking for diabetes). If all the values are within normal limits, you can be more comfortable with the idea of anesthesia for Major. Your veterinarian will have a solid basis of comparison for the future. It is far easier to interpret the abnormal test results of a sick pet if we have values generated at a time when the animal is clinically normal.
Any animal, undergoing anesthesia, regardless of age, faces risks.
Blood work is an essential part of the groundwork for maximizing a pet’s safety and comfort during this stressful event. You should be pleased that your veterinarian wants to help you take such good care of your furry family member.
Dr. Robin Downing will respond to your questions in her weekly column, but cannot answer individually. Send questions to: Robin Downing, DVM, P.O. Box 460, Windsor, CO 80550 or drrobin@windsorvet.com.
