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Originally Posted by Matthias  This is my biggest worry of all when it comes to my Yorkies. My baby boy Timothy should have had his teeth cleaned a few times while younger, but I feared he wouldn't make it through while being under. He also needed luxating patella surgery on both hind legs, of which I didn't do because of the same fear.
Now I read this article and AM NOT FORGETTING the fact it's at Tufts and NOT my local vets in the area. The same protections and Veterinarians that are at Tufts are one thing, but having similar near here is something else. I'm not going to be skewed by facts, when the facts don't apply similar around here.
Matthias |
I agree the article was written explaining what the vets at Tuft's do or can do, but you can take this info and question your vet to find out exactly what their anesthesia protocol is, and if they tweak it for special patients, and make a more informed decision regarding getting treatment for your dog.
Also know your vet. Does he have experience with smaller animals? My vet specializes in Exotics, and routinely works on hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas and such, along with reptiles and birds. I feel more confident with him doing a surgery on my small dogs, as all these animals require different protocols for anesthesia, and I feel he's better informed and has the experience to make the best choices for my dogs. And he and his wife are both vets, and routinely do surgeries together, especially on higher risk patients.
Ask about the specific drugs he uses. If he minds you asking, then that would be a bit of a red flag to me. Pre-op blood work should always be done in advance. And everything else mentioned in the article.