how common is it for a puppy to die of an allergic reaction to anaesthetic?

Question

5 month old choc lab went in for routine operation to get spade and has died

Answer 1

It depends. Although not common if a dog was to have an allergic reason to the anaestetic and also had some underlying health issues it wouldnt help. I had a King charles spaniel that went in to be spade and also died, we got an answer that she had a reaction and also had a weak heart which the bread do tend to suffer with so that didnt help. I would say as it was a Lab it was likely tjust o be a reaction which they couldnt over come quick enough as they tend to be a problem free breed. I do have some advise however, if you do get another pup, do not have it spade until at least after its first season, I would say the second one. This means the pup is mature enough but not old enough to develop any complications such as womb cancer (my lab got this at the age of 5, we had her spade just in time as it hadnt spread and we didnt even realise she had it) Any good vet will tell you the best time for a spade to be done. My vet whi has been in business for 30 years has always gone by this practice with an awful lot of sucess. remember very small and very large breeds of dogs tend to have more problems with the anaesthetic due to strain on the hearts

Answer 2

Sorry to hear of your loss!
I know it must be heart-breaking for you!

It is not a common occurrence but happens with any species including US.The rarer the animal the more likely something will go wrong and some like Giraffes and Elephants dont take Anaesthesia very well at all. The possibility is always there so really there is no such thing as a routine operation to a Vet or Doctor and that it why you have to sign a disclaimer before a General Anaesthetic is given.
It's the unpredictability of life I'm afraid!

Answer 3

Spayed - not spade. Spade is a shovel.

Although rare, it does happen. Sometimes a pre-anesthetic blood profile may have shown the doctor a reason why the dog should not undergo anesthesia or may have shown the doctor that a different anesthesia should be used, but even the PAP is not a diagnostic test that will tell the doctor that the dog will have a reaction.

I worked in a clinic and had seen it happen, once to a dog, once to a cat. We saved the cat, the pup passed away. The staff understands how hard this must be on you. The staff is also having a horrible time with this, trust me. The doctor did NOT want to make that call to you, it's a horrible call to make, giving this information to a pet owner who was doing the right thing by spaying their dog. Emergencies happen, unfortunately. Don't let this deter you from this veterinarian, it is a rare, horrible thing to happen.

I wish you luck and healing.

Answer 4

Some vet clinics that advertise low cost spay & neuter fees use old style cheaper anesthetics that are not as safe as modern, easily reversible ones (this is one way they keep costs down - but with sometimes horrible results). I worked for good vets, but we had a few of these "cheap" clinics in town. Whenever we got a new client that was afraid to have their pup or kitten spayed or neutered, they would have this type of sad story to tell about the last pet & their experience at one of those clinics. It's terrible these place stay in business!

Complain (in writing) to your state's veterinary board, the attorney generals office, and the Better Business Bureau - you may find this clinic has several other complaints against it, if it is one of these bad clinics. If so, pursue getting something done to make a change - help to keep this from happening to some other poor animal & their owners. Good luck.

p.s. I wanted to clarify: reduced fee spay/neuter clinics endorsed or operated by your local animal shelter are great places to go - the bad places I am referring to are the independantly owned full-service vet clinics that advertise 'low cost spays & neuters' in their yellow page ads & sometimes on billboards - these should be thoroughly researched (record checked with the Better Business Bureau, etc) before considering their services. Ask if they use reversible anesthesias, whichever place you choose in the future. Do not be afraid to have any future pets spayed or neutered - the health benefits and problems it helps avoid are great.

I am sorry for your loss.

Answer 5

Obviously not all that common of the vets would be doing something about but every time and anaesthetic is used on any creature there is risk and I assume you were warned of this as it is routine to do so

Answer 6

It's not that common, had a 6 mth old cat that died same way. It's still a sh*t thing to happen tho. Sorry for your loss,you were trying to be a responsible dog owner too. If you get another dog, please don't be put off from having it operated on because of what's happened.

Answer 7

Sounds like your pet may have been given too much anaesthetic for his weight,but some animals don't survive from being put under local anaesthtic with the best of vets,you see the same occurance in humans sometimes,guess it just was their time and way to go.Very sad,as i lost my Chihuahua this way.

Answer 8

I have being a volunteer for the SPCA in South Africa for the past 10 years and to be honest have never heard of a dog being allergic to the anaesthetic. I am not saying it is not possible anything is possible.

Answer 9

I'm really sorry to hear about you puppy! : ( It's exremely unsual for anything to die from a reaction to anasthetics. Just one of the unlucky few that had a negative reaction.

Answer 10

It is not very common - but as with any surgery it does happen. Most vets will ask to do tests before any operation to try and prevent any unknowns. As with people 'things do happen' with surgical procedures.