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• Genetic differences among breeds and anatomical variations can increase the risk of anesthesia for certain dogs and even cats.
• Brachycephalic pets – those with “pushed in” faces – are at high risk for airway obstruction, which makes anesthetization a special challenge.
• Other breeds tend to be hypersensitive to sedating drugs, which makes the risk of over-sedation higher than usual.
• If you have a pet at higher than normal risk for anesthesia complications – including a brachy, a sighthound, one of the herding breeds, a tiny dog, a giant breed, a Doberman Pinscher or a boxer bred in the UK – you’ll want to inform yourself about your pet’s special needs.
• Sedation and anesthesia can be done safely and successfully with any breed of dog or cat, providing all necessary pre-work is accomplished and the patient is carefully monitored from premedication through extubation.