ANESTHESIA IN THE PAPILLON AND OTHER TOY DOGSBy Stanley A. Sohn,
D.V.M. This article is intended to offer some useful, thought-provoking information about anesthesia. By definition the word anesthesia means without pain. There are many ways to produce this state in our dogs. The method used is governed by the type of procedure to be performed. The basic types in veterinary medicine are local, epidural, and the most common is general. I have heard many Papillon breeders say that Paps are more susceptible to anesthesia than other dogs. This, in my opinion, is just not so. Papillons are no different or no more susceptible than any other dog to the effects of general anesthesia. The most important thing in treating toy dogs is to have an accurate weight on the dog. Anesthetics have a dose which is based on weight, so it is critical to get an accurate weight just prior to administering anesthesia. Anesthetics are generally administered to effect, but the calculated dose is very important for the starting point. With the advent of newer anesthetics and combinations, much of the risk has been removed. The use of barbiturate anesthetics is generally not something I would recommend in toy dogs as they are distributed in different parts of the body at different rates and are released at different rates thus keeping the dog sleeping or at a deeper level of anesthesia than may be desired. The two most commonly used barbiturates are Biotal and Pentothal. Different procedures call for different regimens. In my practice we have gone to using Telezol--the drug of choice for induction and alone for minor procedures. For example, for a routine ovariohysterectomy (spay) I would generally give Telezol intravenously then pass an endotracheal tube and maintain the dog on Isoflurane. Removal of puppy teeth would involve IV Telezol alone. Routine dental scaling and polishing is generally done by administering IV Telezol followed by intubation and Isoflurane for maintenance. A caesarian section is either masked down or put in an anesthetic chamber with Isoflurane until the dog is deep enough to pass an endotracheal tube. Although these protocols work well in my practice they are by no means the only ones, and there are numerous other protocols available. Another new product we have had a great deal of success with is a sedative called Domitor. This can be administered either IV or in the muscle. I have found this particularly. This can be used with its companion product called Antisedin. Antisedin is given in the muscle and reverses the effects of the Domitor, so within ten minutes the animal is awake and walking. All veterinarians have their own particular favorite and you should have the confidence in your veterinarian to trust their judgment. That is not to say that you should not discuss your concerns and have them satisfied. When calling to schedule an appointment involving anesthesia, for your toy dog in particular, it may be wise to obtain answers to a few questions. It would be helpful to know if the practice treats many toy dogs. You should also ask what type of anesthesia is planned, and if it is gas, which one. There are three gases in general use in veterinary medicine. They are Metofane, Halothane, and the newest is Isoflurane. All three are safe and have been used successfully. You should also inform the hospital of any particular problems your dog may have, such as a heart condition, old age, or previous problems with anesthesia I would also ask if the hospital generally gives injections or vaccinations to the animal while still asleep. If so, you may want to request that they wait until the animal is awake. The reason for this is in case the dog had a reaction to the injection you would not know it if the animal were sleeping. Make sure all your questions are answered satisfactorily, because under the best of circumstances complications can still arise. Your dog could have an unknown allergic reaction, or cardiac arrest, or respiratory arrest could occur. In conclusion, I believe that with the newer technologies available to the veterinary profession today, the risk of general anesthesia is minimal and should not be avoided if it is in the best interest of your dog. Stanley A. Sohn, D.V.M.
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Copyright 2002, Papillon Club of America, Inc.