Pre Anesthetic Bloods?

[Bisart Dobes]

Thanks for responses :)

Simi is a young dog and has no obvious health issues, although she has not had to have an Anesthetic before so maybe this time it would be better to get it done just to be safe. It's not the money that was making me consider not having it done (when you're paying $600 for X-rays another $100 doesn't matter too much) but more whether or not a young healthy dog really needs them. She won't be under for long as she isn't having surgery but I suppose if she did have a health issue even a short time could be dangerous.

Lots to think about :)

Silly question maybe but is Simi a dobe ? Are you scoring for breeding purposes ?

If so we always run bloods to test Thyroid, Liver & Kidney function on our dogs prior to breeding (even though my vets keep telling me its a waste of time with no issues in the lines !!) but if you get it done you can have all these results. In some lines in dobes there are chronic thyroid & kidney issues - good to check.

If not - ignore this post :).

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Thanks for responses :)

Simi is a young dog and has no obvious health issues, although she has not had to have an Anesthetic before so maybe this time it would be better to get it done just to be safe. It's not the money that was making me consider not having it done (when you're paying $600 for X-rays another $100 doesn't matter too much) but more whether or not a young healthy dog really needs them. She won't be under for long as she isn't having surgery but I suppose if she did have a health issue even a short time could be dangerous.

Lots to think about :)

Silly question maybe but is Simi a dobe ? Are you scoring for breeding purposes ?

If so we always run bloods to test Thyroid, Liver & Kidney function on our dogs prior to breeding (even though my vets keep telling me its a waste of time with no issues in the lines !!) but if you get it done you can have all these results. In some lines in dobes there are chronic thyroid & kidney issues - good to check.

If not - ignore this post :).

Yep, this is why I get them done at least once and then before breeding as well - kidney issues aren't an issue in my breed but thyroid is. I also find it useful to have a baseline for each dog. For a recent "lodger" here who was over 8 when she arrived, I ordered a full panel before her GA for her desexing because I didn't want to rehome her at that age without being confident that all looked good (which it does). I'm not sure I'd recommend it for a pet owner who isn't breeding in my breed, but some of the comments in this thread make me think it would be a good idea in breeds that are susceptible to things you can pick up on a blood panel.

[Remarkabull]

Lol, $600 up here is the cheapest I can get it done and I have to send results to a specialist for scoring. Everything is more expensive in the NT!

No Simi is not a Dobe, but is getting scored for the purpose of breeding. It is a requirement that she is hip scored and must meet the criteria before we can breed or her puppies can't be registered.

[Everythings Shiny]

Lol, $600 up here is the cheapest I can get it done and I have to send results to a specialist for scoring. Everything is more expensive in the NT!

No Simi is not a Dobe, but is getting scored for the purpose of breeding. It is a requirement that she is hip scored and must meet the criteria before we can breed or her puppies can't be registered.

Wow! Thats expensive

[BJean]

Thanks for responses :)

Simi is a young dog and has no obvious health issues, although she has not had to have an Anesthetic before so maybe this time it would be better to get it done just to be safe. It's not the money that was making me consider not having it done (when you're paying $600 for X-rays another $100 doesn't matter too much) but more whether or not a young healthy dog really needs them. She won't be under for long as she isn't having surgery but I suppose if she did have a health issue even a short time could be dangerous.

Lots to think about :)

No a young healthy dog does not need the blood tests.

The tests are a precautionary measure to 1. identify at risk dogs, and then 2. help with an alternative GA process, that the usual GA drug combination is likely to have an adverse affect on.

ETA - OT:

Everything's Shiny: Great siggy!

Edited January 20, 2013 by lilli

[BJean]

Thanks for responses :)

Simi is a young dog and has no obvious health issues, although she has not had to have an Anesthetic before so maybe this time it would be better to get it done just to be safe. It's not the money that was making me consider not having it done (when you're paying $600 for X-rays another $100 doesn't matter too much) but more whether or not a young healthy dog really needs them. She won't be under for long as she isn't having surgery but I suppose if she did have a health issue even a short time could be dangerous.

If your young healthy dog did have an underlying kidney or liver problem, that at this stage was causing no symptoms or any aberration from optimal physical condition, according to the observation and physical examination of an experienced veterinarian, then it is dubious whether kidney and liver disorders at such an early stage would actually be dangerous with GA.

[Everythings Shiny]

Everything's Shiny: Great siggy!

Thanks! Sums it up well doesn't it! :laugh:

I must admit, there has been a case at my work place of a young dog whom appeared healthy on the vet examination, had seriously out of whack Pre-GA blood results. The bloods were that out of whack, the desexing had to be postponed as it posed to much of a risk. Several vets check the dog over to ensure something hadn't been missed on the physical exam, but they found nothing either.

I don't know what the issue was (I wasn't the surgical nurse that day) but it was enough to warrant medical intervention and postponement of a desexing.

[Jumabaar]

Thanks for responses :)

Simi is a young dog and has no obvious health issues, although she has not had to have an Anesthetic before so maybe this time it would be better to get it done just to be safe. It's not the money that was making me consider not having it done (when you're paying $600 for X-rays another $100 doesn't matter too much) but more whether or not a young healthy dog really needs them. She won't be under for long as she isn't having surgery but I suppose if she did have a health issue even a short time could be dangerous.

If your young healthy dog did have an underlying kidney or liver problem, that at this stage was causing no symptoms or any aberration from optimal physical condition, according to the observation and physical examination of an experienced veterinarian, then it is dubious whether kidney and liver disorders at such an early stage would actually be dangerous with GA.

Thats a big call to make...... A GA is always dangerous, and there are lots of factors - experience of the anaesthetist, the drugs they use, if they put up fluids. There are also plenty of conditions that dont have clinical symptoms but will show up on blood work.

[westiemum]

It is 'gold standard' so any vet not offering it before an anaesthetic could be held accountable if there was a problem that could have been found on a blood test. I would be more worried about the vets that dont at least give clients the option than those that do- I tend to think about what else they have decided not to offer but thats just my opinion.

You have to decide the risk for your own dog- for young healthy dogs then there is less likely for there to be anything wrong. So it may not be a 'must have' for your dog.

I personally am very risk adverse so I have had bloods taken on 4 out of the 6 surgeries my dogs have had. But I also do yearly blood work after 7/8yrs of age with my dogs because I figure its cheaper to do that and treat conditions early than waiting for clinical signs and having to do more aggressive treatment.

This. I'm not overly risk adverse but I think the risks get higher as dogs age. So I would never GA my older dogs ( over 7 or 8) without pre - anaesthetic bloods. But possibly not for a younger dog - depends on their health and history and how you manage risk. I also run yearly blood checks for my two older westies as I figure its better to pick up anything early, possibly sub- clinically than wait until its obvious and I have a major problem on my hands. They are due again in July. :)

[westiemum]

Thanks for responses :)

Simi is a young dog and has no obvious health issues, although she has not had to have an Anesthetic before so maybe this time it would be better to get it done just to be safe. It's not the money that was making me consider not having it done (when you're paying $600 for X-rays another $100 doesn't matter too much) but more whether or not a young healthy dog really needs them. She won't be under for long as she isn't having surgery but I suppose if she did have a health issue even a short time could be dangerous.

If your young healthy dog did have an underlying kidney or liver problem, that at this stage was causing no symptoms or any aberration from optimal physical condition, according to the observation and physical examination of an experienced veterinarian, then it is dubious whether kidney and liver disorders at such an early stage would actually be dangerous with GA.

Thats a big call to make...... A GA is always dangerous, and there are lots of factors - experience of the anaesthetist, the drugs they use, if they put up fluids. There are also plenty of conditions that dont have clinical symptoms but will show up on blood work.

Yep agree with this one too. GAs are dangerous in people and never done without bloods so I figure what's good for me is good for my westies ( and my old cat who now lives with Mum!). As well as a pre-GA check, bloods also double as a general clinical check - so in a sense you get two for the price of one - so a good thing in my book. Mine always have fluids too - they seem happier post-op and they seem to recover so much better.

I think I've posted about my old dementing westie boy's last GA for a dental before - he's 13 so I was very nervous - but the dental was necessary as he has few teeth left post-puppy farm so I need to preserve them as much as possible, not to mention all the other problems associated with bad teeth. Needless to say we ran pre-GA bloods, very careful light special GA for old dogs, quick as possible procedure, and plenty of fluids and he came out better on the 'grogginess scale' than the boy puppy who was in for desexing before him! Vet was brilliant.

Edited January 21, 2013 by westiemum