Does anyone have the feeling that veterinaries are too quick to administer anesthesia foe things as simple as an xray? Couple years ago, most clinics ago wanted to put my dogs under just to chip them.
I’m always concerned about the risks of anesthesia. I’m originally from Dpain, and there the technician (or the owner) will go inside with the dog wearing a lead vest to hold them while the image is taken.
Am I overreacting? Is there something I’m missing ?
Absolutely. I’m a medical professional and use deep sedation for a living, and I’ve been appalled by the standards for veterinary anesthesia. Resisted doing it on our lab for years.
Finally he ended up needing to go under four months ago for a rather routine dental procedure (cracked molar extraction). He was either inappropriately recovered or esophageally intubated. Either way he had a horrible aspiration event that we weren’t told about until he didn’t recover normally post operatively. He was admitted to the ICU at a specialty vet hospital and died of multifocal pneumonia within the next 48 hours.
I will NEVER let someone put my other dog under general again unless it’s for an actual surgical intervention. That dog was my life—he was about to be 12 but otherwise completely healthy. I still haven’t recovered from it.
Not really. They put dogs under for xrays because they need the dog to be still for the xray. If your dog was elderly or had some specific reason that anesthesia was high risk, I’m sure they’d consider alternatives.
I’ve never heard of pets being anesthetized for microchips and I’ve had chipped pets since the late 90s.
I’m not familiar with need anesthesia for chips, but depending on the xray, it makes sense. The dog has to not move for a good picture, and depending on the location, that might not be possible if they are awake.
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