[Linda1]

anesthesia complications

My daughter dropped her lab/brittney mix off to be neutered today. The vet just called and said they can't do it. They gave Jaxson the anesthesia and he went into severe seizures. They have him stable now, and he will be able to come home tonight, but they won't be able to do the surgery. Has this happened to anyone one else? My daughter will talk with the vet tonight to see what other options are available.

 

[blacklabelias]

Re: anesthesia complications

I have never heard of that. Thank goodness they realized there was a problem before they began to operate. Did they do the pre-anesthesia blood work?

 

[jzgrlduff]

Re: anesthesia complications

Oh chit, why did I open this? (If you know of my nervousness of Frankie being neutered on the 1st).

How old is the dog Linda? Has he had seizures before? Did they do the pre-anesthesia blood work?

 

[Linda1]

Re: anesthesia complications

I don't think they did pre-blood work, but don't know for sure. The cost was to be $258, so I wouldn't think that would be enough for blood tests too. Jaxson is about 8 months old and has never had any kind of seizure. From what my daughter said, it sounds like the vet doesn't even want try and do the surgery with a different anesthesia. Amy, I'm sure Frankie will be just fine. I'm sure this is something that doesn't happen often. I just wonder what options are available to have Jaxson fixed. He is marking the house and needs done!

 

[Linda1]

Re: anesthesia complications

I just read the link about pre-anesthesia blood work. It doesn't sound like it would have let them know that Jaxson would go into seizures.

 

[LabraDork]

Re: anesthesia complications

That is extremely rare. Sometimes there are instances where dogs and cats have the absolute reverse reaction to anesthesia causing exciteablity and seizures instead of putting them under sedation. I wonder if that's what happened in this case. Poor guy!

 

[MyLabsMom]

Re: anesthesia complications

Aw, Linda - so sorry about that.

Keep us posted on the little guy.

(I haven't heard of that either).

 

[imported_CindersMyGirl]

Re: anesthesia complications

I've never heard of it either, just wanted to say I hope he's doing okay.

 

[Linda1]

Re: anesthesia complications

Jaxson is now home. Vet said that he coded and they had to tube him. They feel that it was the sedative. Instead of relaxing and eyes closing, Jaxson's heart started racing and then he coded. They said to give his heart and brain a week to recover and then they can try again with another drug. My daughter isn't sure what to do. She really wants him neutered, but is afraid to try again.

 

[MyLabsMom]

Re: anesthesia complications

Oh Lord - start researching - internet, calling around, etc. Somewhere out there, someone else must have gone thru that also......

Poor guy!

 

[stlabs]

Re: anesthesia complications

I've heard of using Neutersol to chemically neuter the dog. She may want to ask about that. I'm not sure it will help with the marking behavior though.

 

[4yelloweyedogs]

Re: anesthesia complications

I guess your daughter should be glad that the vet stopped right away..... my neighbor took her 6 month old cocker into be spayed..... when they started to put her under I guess her heart stopped..... they quit, but when the dog recovered regular heartbeat they tried it again right away........ the dog died on the table. I always wondered if the vet would have stopped the first time, if the dog would still be alive today....

I guess it's rare, but it does happen.


Melissa

 

[myfavoritedog]

Re: anesthesia complications

I guess your daughter should be glad that the vet stopped right away..... my neighbor took her 6 month old cocker into be spayed..... when they started to put her under I guess her heart stopped..... they quit, but when the dog recovered regular heartbeat they tried it again right away........ the dog died on the table. I always wondered if the vet would have stopped the first time, if the dog would still be alive today....

I guess it's rare, but it does happen.


Melissa

!!!!!!!!! I cannot imagine them continuing after the initial episode. I would think extreme caution, translated do not proceed, until further testing or whatever. That sounds like incompetance to me.

I am glad Jaxon is doing ok. I can understand your daughter's hesitation. I would feel exactly the same way. The vet sounds like he/she was on top of things. I don't think that will necessarily stop the marking but it is the responsible thing to do. Hopefully another method or drug will work out.

 

[CaliforniaLabLover]

Re: anesthesia complications

I would guess that he had a reaction to an injectible medication that he was given...especially with the history that he wasn't already intubated. I'm very glad that he's okay, and considering that he IS still alive, I actually think that the vet must have been incredibly competent. Nobody can forsee this happening during sedative/anesthetic procedures unless there is a known heart condition or seizure disorder going into the procedure. You can guarantee that this veterinarian, having had this happen even once, is going to be even MORE cautious (if that is possible) in the future with any drugs in this pup....

I would personally rest him for about 2-4 wks instead of just one, and have them neuter him using gas anesthesia ONLY...NO injectibles!!! Some dogs can react to things such as acepromazine this way- do you know what he was given? Acepromazine is absolutely contraindicated in seizure-prone animals, and sometimes in youngsters, you don't know early on whether they have seizures or not.

Pain meds should be okay I would guess (like buprenorphine or butorphanol), but I would give him a bit more time to truly recover and have it done with gas only.

 

[Bob Pr.]

Re: anesthesia complications

It sounds like you have a really skilled, conscientous vet.

But in Pennsylvania, you also have one of the top College/Schools of VetMed in the world. They're located, as you probably know, near Philly. They have the top diagnosticians, tests, etc.

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetnet.html

 

[CaliforniaLabLover]

Re: anesthesia complications

But in Pennsylvania, you also have one of the top College/Schools of VetMed in the world. They're located, as you probably know, near Philly. They have the top diagnosticians, tests, etc.

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetnet.html

That's true...but at veterinary schools, the "elective procedures" (ie- spays and neuters) are done by the students with doctor supervision. They are very closely monitored by other students on their anesthesiology rotations (one per patient), though...and those students also have direct supervision from an anesthesiology technician or anesthesiologist.