General Anaesthetic

[~JO~]

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It looks like Stan the Man might have to have an operation next week and have a GA

I remember somewhere in the distant past of some K9'ers having some good advice on what GA should be used on running dogs. Can anyone give me any advice please?

 

[LasVegasNo1]

O no what's happened to Stan the man?!

 

[dessie]

Rapinovet. But I think things have become so modern these days that you do not need to quiz your Vet about a GA, most of them will use modern anaesthetics unless you go to a very antiquated practice!! Don't worry I am sure Stan will be fine.

 

[~JO~]

Thanks Dessie - they are pretty modern and 'on the ball' so it should be okay. But don't runnings dogs generally take longer to come out of it as they have so little body fat?

Stan has been having little snorting episodes over the last week or so and also dry coughing and hacking like he is trying to bring something up. I took him to the vets today and she is pretty sure he has got something (probaby a blade of grass) stuckup the back of his nose. He probably took it down the wrong way and it went back up his nose. He is having a course of antibiotics just in case it is just a small infection but it seems very unlikely it is

Apparently the operation is pretty awkward as they have to get behind the soft pallet etc etc. Poor little Stan, he is such a baby and is only happy as long as he is by my side and he doesn't like strangers so I think he will find the whole episode very stressful.

 

[EJW]

Poor little Stan, he is such a baby and is only happy as long as he is by my side and he doesn't like strangers so I think he will find the whole episode very stressful.

If any of my Whippets have needed surgery I have always stayed with them after their pre-med until they are relaxed & drowsy.

I'm sure your vet would allow you to do this. By the time he's properly awake again you'll be able to collect him, so he shouldn't get too stressed :luck:

 

[dessie]

Poor Stan! Can't they 'scope him first?? Re the actual anaesthetic, it used to be the case that running dogs did not do so well because of the lack of fatty tissue for the anaesthetic gas to disperse into but modern anaesthetics are so good that I don't think you will have a problem, quite honestly. He will be wide awake by the time you pick him up .................. might sleep well that night though!!

He will be fine, we worry too much about our dogs and anthropomorphise them!! Unless it is a very little practice with not much going on, they won't want you underfoot insisting on staying with your dog whilst the pre-med takes effect, it might be ages before they get to operate on him. I usually take mine into the ward kennel area rather than let them go off with a stranger but then leave them once I have seen them settled into their cage.

 

[Millie]

Stan has been having little snorting episodes over the last week or so and also dry coughing and hacking like he is trying to bring something up.  I took him to the vets today and she is pretty sure he has got something (probaby a blade of grass) stuckup the back of his nose.  He probably took it down the wrong way and it went back up his nose.  He is having a course of antibiotics just in case it is just a small infection but it seems very unlikely it is 

Is the vet sure about this Joe........ Only ask because the symptoms you have describe sound just like a whippet with Kennel Cough ! And its doing the rounds again at the mo !

 

[~JO~]

Stan has been having little snorting episodes over the last week or so and also dry coughing and hacking like he is trying to bring something up.  I took him to the vets today and she is pretty sure he has got something (probaby a blade of grass) stuckup the back of his nose.  He probably took it down the wrong way and it went back up his nose.  He is having a course of antibiotics just in case it is just a small infection but it seems very unlikely it is 

Is the vet sure about this Joe........ Only ask because the symptoms you have describe sound just like a whippet with Kennel Cough ! And its doing the rounds again at the mo !

No pretty definite it's not kennel cough. He has also been vaccinated against it because he was going to have to go into kennels for a few days and they insisted Although I know this of course isn't 100% effective as there are different strains etc

Also none of the other dogs have got it and Stan & Arch are always together. The vet dismissed the possibility straight away. He has been snorting for probably 10 days or a bit longer thinking about it but it was quite sporadic, the cough is just occasional and has only started a few days ago.

I think it is the snorting which is the indicator of something stuck rather than the cough from what the vet said.

 

[Millie]

Poor Stan........ funny thing is it was when you mentioned the snorting (like sneezing inwards) that made me think of Kennel Cough as this was the first symptoms my whippets had last year when they went down with it (the collies just coughed) also not all my lot got it, even though they were together.

Just hate the thought of Stan going through a GA if nothings there

 

[~JO~]

Yes I know what you mean, it is wierd how your whippets had different symptoms from the collies :blink:

I think they will GA him and then scope him before they operate.

It is pretty difficult to explain but to be honest it just isn't that sort of cough (from those more experienced than me!). KC has a pretty short incubation period I believe and I am just trying to think when he first started having this problem and pretty sure it was just before SW Hound, and he hadn't been anywhere for weeks and weeks before that and we don't walk where other dogs walk. There are 5 dogs here and he the only one with these symptoms. Why can't these things be easier to diagnose!!

Anyway maybe it is a small infection and the anti-biotics will clear it up. He is absolutely a-okay in himself though which is a good thing. I really don't want him to have a GA so I suppose a piece of grass could dislodge itself anyhow - heres hoping!!

Thanks for the info Millie

 

[~JO~]

He will be fine, we worry too much about our dogs and anthropomorphise them!!

I know, sad isn't it!! I just have to stop chatting to them so much too...but their views on current affairs are just sooo interesting!! :teehee:

 

[Rae]

Hi Jo,

Hope Stan is OK :huggles: :luck:

Generally something like proponol or isoflurane is safest. Presume they'd sedate him first with something like Temgesic.

(I think Rapinovet is the trade name for the drug proponol)

I would hope most vets would use his aneasthetic protocol now anyway as it is safer for all dogs, not just our little speed machines :wub:

Don't know what to suggest about the stress, can you put something like rescue remedy in the water before he goes, and use a DAP spray?

 

[JAX]

Don't know what to suggest about the stress, can you put something like rescue remedy in the water before he goes, and use a DAP spray?

I think that would be better for us owners, rather than the dogs :thumbsup:

 

[ILoveKettleChips]

Generally something like proponol or isoflurane is safest. Presume they'd sedate him first with something like Temgesic. (I think Rapinovet is the trade name for the drug proponol)

I would hope most vets would use his aneasthetic protocol now anyway as it is safer for all dogs, not just our little speed machines  :wub:

I'm going to have a little rant here - nobody take this personally, it's just something I get really het up about!

Propofol is NOT safer than thiopentone (the other induction drug in common use). It is much better for sighthounds because it is not dependent on body fat, and so they do not have such a long 'hangover' after coming round. It is different, but some dogs would be better knocked out with thiopentone (the two drugs have different effects on respiration, blood pressure etc, so dogs which are sick are not necessarily better off with propofol). I get really miffed when people describe propofol as 'safe', because it is just as safe as any other anaesthetic!

For maintenance most vets use isoflurane, but halothane is also ok. The thing to remember is that whatever regime the vets use, they anaesthetise hundreds of animals using the same drugs and so have a thorough knowledge of the way animals react to them.

Either way I have absolute confidence that poor wee Stan will be just fine - imagine how good he'll feel waking up WITHOUT a blade of grass up his nose!

 

[wilfsmum]

hi joe sorry to hear about stan when is all this happening?

 

[Rae]

Propofol is NOT safer than thiopentone (the other induction drug in common use).  It is much better for sighthounds because it is not dependent on body fat, and so they do not have such a long 'hangover' after coming round. 

OK :wacko:

Should have said better and not safer then...

However it's interesting that you've said that because as I've always been told, that it is the safest option (for rabbits too, not just whippies) because of the lack of body fat (in the case of whippies - I don't have skinny rabbits )

The sad truth is however, that so many people have no confidence in their own vet that they feel as if they need to go armed and ready, do some homework first , instead of feeling that they can trust them to know what is best.

 

[Joanna]

Poor boy

When Archie lost his veg, we asked to have the the anaesthetic where they came round faster. Now I don't know which one it was, but it was recommended here for whippets. It cost about £10 more than the standard GA, but just gave me peace of mind.

I am sure your vet is familiar with this, but you do have to ask if you want it in some cases.

Hope all goes well

Jo

 

[~JO~]

hi joe  sorry to hear about stan when is all this happening?

Hello Wilfsmum Is this also Ed's mum???

Umm he is on the antibiotics for 5 days, but the vet said to wait a week to be sure and then go back so early next week. Funny thing is when he came back from the vets he was fine all day!! - hmmm

But he had a bad morning this morning He just couldn't seem to breathe through his nose even when I hold his nose to ease it, but he seems a bit better now after stealing lots of empty bisuit packetrs from the office bins

 

[whippetmad]

poor stan, hope everything goes alright for him.lots of hugs :huggles: :huggles: :huggles: :huggles: :wub: :wub:

 

[ILoveKettleChips]

The sad truth is however, that so many people have no confidence in their own vet that they feel as if they need to go armed and ready, do some homework first , instead of feeling that they can trust them to know what is best.

Makes ME sad too!

I really really wasn't having a go at you, I just think that although propofol is good (we use it routinely) it isn't necessarily any better than thio in some cases. Although yes, in longdogs it does make for a much less miserable recovery!