Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We had our 8-month old white GSD in for spay. The vet said he gave her morphine & valium in IV for pain and then proceeded to induce isoflurane for anesthetic. She stopped breathing and vet could not restart her heart. I was absolutely crushed.

Just wondering if anyone has had any similar experience with the loss of a dog during anesthesia?? I do not know the statistics of this occurrence or if it is more common in certain breeds. If any one can provide any information, I would be so appreciative.

Thanks -
Susan

For Laci 11/25/07 - 8/22/08

I am so sorry for your lose.

I have never had that happened but when ever one of my dogs does need to go under an anesthetic, my vet always reminds me that is somewhat dangerous.

Cheryl/PHKeeper

Thank you for your kind words.

I know that putting a dog under anesthesia is a situation that is potentially dangerous. I remember filling out the forms for surgery. But who would EVER think that an 8.5 month old pup would have any problems? She was so full of life and happiness.
I miss her so much.

Susan

I am so sorry for your loss. One thing I always do these days, especially before a first surgery, is have general blood testing done. Sometimes that yields unexpected results and can save a dog's life. So I do it routinely now.

Thank God, I have never lost a dog to surgery, but my veterinarian--who has lost very, very few in many years of practice--does not take the risks lightly at all. Some vets do lose more dogs than they should.

I had one dog who had been neutered as a puppy--but not all the way. They got in there before they realized he had an undescended testicle. They removed the descended one, and then he started to crash from anesthesia. So they revived him without removing the undescended one.

When I got him, his previous owners had neglected to have that undescended testicle removed, he was nearly 2 years old, and he had Lyme Disease! He needed a month of antibiotics and a better blood titer on Lyme Disease before the vet would approve surgery. (My reliable vet!)

After we passed that hurdle, I decided that considering his crash under anesthesia as a puppy and the possible complications of removing an undescended testicle, we had better use a surgical specialty for this proceedure. We did, and all went well. We also made sure they knew about that early anesthesia problem, so they could adjust for it.

I am so sorry for your loss. It is a hard way to lose to lose a dog, and I guess it always leaves unanswered questions. It certainly can happen. But don't let it cause you to not have your next dog neutered, or surgery when indicated and advised by a good veterinarian. Just keep in mind the risks, and precautions you can take. Blood testing in advance is always worthwhile.
-----
Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Thank you Kathy for the helpful information. A blood test will be helpful to detect potential problems.

I will be extremely careful in the future with any surgery. I have had many dogs undergo anesthesia and surgery with no problem. But it has been very tough to lose this puppy....she was so full of life and so happy. The house is so quiet without her.

Susan

I am so sorry for your loss. I have not had that happen before during surgery. I know it must be terribly hard for you.
staffordmom

Thank you for your kind words.

It has been hard and I miss her so much. You never think you will lose a pup so early in life. She was just beginning to comply with commands and "understand who is boss"! She was so smart and I am sorry I will not get to know the mature dog she was to become.

Thank you.

Susan

My sister in CA had her Rotti spayed at 2 yrs. The vet used similar drugs as yours. He bitch almost died. She stayed with her the entire night talking to her and trying to keep her awake.

I checked with my vet and he said some vets want the dogs relaxed.

My sister filed a complaint to the vet board and the vet had to pay fines. You may want to talk to your state's vet board about what happened.

Sorry for your loss. She was too young to go.

I hope this helps you put your question to rest.

L T