Chihuahuas & Anesthesia - Increased Risks?

[Yoshi&Reza]

I have serious reservations about putting Rosie under. When talking to the vet techs while getting her shots, some seemed like it was nothing to put a tiny dog under but a couple others have said otherwise. Other people (not vet techs) I have had conversations with tell me there are increased risks. I understand there are no guarantees, but is the risk increased compared to a 45 lb dog?

Is it safe to put her under with how tiny she is (1.5 lb)? Vet techs here on AA, what is your vet clinics practices with tiny dogs and anesthesia? Or any others with small dogs....

Thanks!

 

[Ribbit21]

I would ask what type of monitoring equipment they use: EKG, pulse ox, blood pressure, pre-op bloodwork with glucose check, etc. With the smaller dogs the main worries are temperature and blood sugar levels. The little ones mainly need to be kept warm afterwards and the really tiny ones should have their glucose levels monitored. With a healthy dog I wouldn't worry too much. Death during anesthesia is not common and a good vet wouldn't do it if they thought the dog was in danger.

 

[petiteoiseau]

I am not a vet tech but have had multiple dogs my entire life and did 6 years of full time dog rescue (we did mostly small breeds and the tcups are very popular) so I got a bit of experience. The truth is that dogs under 5 and over 100 lbs are always at a higher medical risk for the simple reasons that nature never meant a canine to be so small or so large so their organs don't react the same as the normal sized dogs. The more you stray from these two weights, the higher the risk and the shorter their average life expectancy (breeders, of course, deny this but vet will tell you it's true). The question is how necessary the surgery is and how much you trust your vet. I have a 4.5 lb chorkie and she just had her annual dental and came through with no problems whatsoever even though she is 15 and, because of her small size, has a defective heart valve (which is, most likely, congenital), liver and kidney issues so putting her under was a risk but leaving the bacteria in her mouth would have meant sure death in the near future.

 

[Yoshi&Reza]

I would ask what type of monitoring equipment they use: EKG, pulse ox, blood pressure, pre-op bloodwork with glucose check, etc. With the smaller dogs the main worries are temperature and blood sugar levels. The little ones mainly need to be kept warm afterwards and the really tiny ones should have their glucose levels monitored. With a healthy dog I wouldn't worry too much. Death during anesthesia is not common and a good vet wouldn't do it if they thought the dog was in danger.

Good to know, thanks! I almost lost Rosie a couple weeks ago from her glucose dropping so low. She has been doing great since and eating regularly, but I also check multiple times a day that she has eaten food.

 

[Yoshi&Reza]

I am not a vet tech but have had multiple dogs my entire life and did 6 years of full time dog rescue (we did mostly small breeds and the tcups are very popular) so I got a bit of experience. The truth is that dogs under 5 and over 100 lbs are always at a higher medical risk for the simple reasons that nature never meant a canine to be so small or so large so their organs don't react the same as the normal sized dogs. The more you stray from these two weights, the higher the risk and the shorter their average life expectancy (breeders, of course, deny this but vet will tell you it's true). The question is how necessary the surgery is and how much you trust your vet. I have a 4.5 lb chorkie and she just had her annual dental and came through with no problems whatsoever even though she is 15 and, because of her small size, has a defective heart valve (which is, most likely, congenital), liver and kidney issues so putting her under was a risk but leaving the bacteria in her mouth would have meant sure death in the near future.

The first reason for surgery would be to spay her. My other concern is her teeth. The adult teeth are coming in but her baby teeth aren't falling out. Most are a little loose but she has two rows of teeth. Daily I am having her chew on chicken feet, turkey and chicken necks, bully sticks, and every day play to help the teeth loosen up some more. I would like to give her teeth/mouth an opportunity to do it naturally. I do check her mouth daily so would notice if something wasn't right (infection, pain, swelling, broken tooth). I have anxiety daily so this process is going to be a difficult one for me. I'm so worried that she would pass because of something I elected to have done for her. Surgery and anesthesia are a big deal regardless of the procedure. I work for a plastic surgeon and it amazes me how many people don't realize that.

 

[Verivus]

If you're unsure of the teeth, I would recommend waiting until she reaches 8 months - 1 years old. A spay is an elective procedure and does not have to be done anytime soon (or ever) as long as you are diligent during her heat and not expose her to intact males. Many people would argue that letting her go through her first 1-2 heat cycles would actually be healthier than spaying before the first heat. There is always a risk with anesthesia regardless of size, but if your vet is comfortable with it and she is otherwise healthy than it *should* be okay. Teeny dogs are not so uncommon in this day and age.

 

[Yoshi&Reza]

If you're unsure of the teeth, I would recommend waiting until she reaches 8 months - 1 years old. A spay is an elective procedure and does not have to be done anytime soon (or ever) as long as you are diligent during her heat and not expose her to intact males. Many people would argue that letting her go through her first 1-2 heat cycles would actually be healthier than spaying before the first heat. There is always a risk with anesthesia regardless of size, but if your vet is comfortable with it and she is otherwise healthy than it *should* be okay. Teeny dogs are not so uncommon in this day and age.

Rosie is 8 months now. But I will definitely wait to give her the chance to fix her teeth naturally.

 

[Renae]

We have 2 small dogs, Barney a Miniature Fox Terrier, and Abby a Jack Russell x Chihuahua. Barney is quite a bit smaller than Abby, but both have been put under to have an operation to spay them, and they were monitored and kept comfortable throughout the whole process (during and after). Abby is about 5kgs (11 lbs), and Barney would only be around 4kgs (8.8 lb).