These two studies show that hypothermia is the most common anaesthetic complication in dogs and cats, even more than in human anaesthesiology. Therefore, the valencian researchers believe that temperature should be continuously monitored and vets should take preventive measures to avoid heat loss during procedures.
Research showed that hypothermia is a frequent complication of anaesthesia in the case of dogs. To reduce its prevalence, the researchers note that it is necessary to prevent heat loss in these animals before starting these veterinary interventions. Such prevention is particularly important in the case of dogs showing higher percentages of hypothermia, according to the study: smaller dogs and those undergoing thoracic surgery or diagnostic procedures requiring prolonged anaesthetic.
The researchers analysed over 1,500 cases of anesthetized animals in the University Clinical Hospitals of the CEU Cardenal Herrera and Cordoba. The variables directly related to hypothermia in dogs registered at the end of an operation include the duration of the pre-anaesthesia and anaesthesia, the physical condition of the animal and, also, their posture during surgery (sternal and dorsal recumbencies showed lower temperatures than lateral recumbency).
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The research team from the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera directed by Professor José Ignacio Redondo published in Veterinary Record the first global study that clinically documents the prevalence of hypothermia in dogs after surgery and after diagnostic tests that require anaesthetic. The 83.6% of the 1,525 dogs studied presented this complication, whereas in humans this percentage is between 30 and 60% of cases.
What to expect after a dog has surgery?
Following surgery, all pets need to rest for 7 to 10 days and dogs need to be leash-walked only, no running or playing during recovery. Cold compress. It’s common for male patients to experience swelling of the scrotum.
Hypothermia is a hot topic for small patients. There are increased risks of surgical and anesthetic complications if a pet gets too cold. The smaller the patient, the more challenging and critical maintaining a warm body temperature becomes. For this reason the American Animal Hospital
Association (AAHA) requires accredited veterinary hospitals to closely monitor a pet patient’s core body temperature throughout anesthesia and recovery. Further, AAHA standards demand that proper heating elements be provided for during and after surgery. For example, my patients are sedated on a heated pad that uses circulating warm water, transferred to a heated surgical table, and then wrapped in a device that envelops the pet’s body with warm air while they wake up from anesthesia (cutely enough it’s called a “hugger”). As I mentioned, I hate being cold, despise the notion that my patients might ever be chilled, and wholeheartedly support the AAHA-accreditations. Veterinary colleagues, get your heat on. Another reason staying warm during and after anesthesia is that is helps speed up recovery. In the study, colder animals tended to take longer to wake up after anesthesia. I don’t know about you, but as a veterinarian I’ve always felt a little relief when I see a patient’s eyes flutter to life after a procedure. Some of the best telephone calls I’ve made over the past 21 years begin with, “Suzie’s waking up from surgery now…” The sooner I can make that call, the better. The benefit of these types of studies is that they help raise awareness of the dangers of hypothermia in veterinary patients. None of the dogs or cats in the studies reported any permanent or serious complications related to their low body temperature. My advice to pet parents is to ask how a pet is monitored during and after anesthesia. How do they keep the patient warm? Better veterinary clinics will have extensive training and equipment and be eager to answer your questions. If you’re hearing sketchy answers, it might be best to look elsewhere. After all, this is your pet’s well-being at stake. While we can’t completely erase all risk from surgery or anesthesia, we can easily keep a pet warm. While surgical and anesthetic hypothermia may not be something you’ve given much thought to, next time your pet needs to have a dental cleaning, biopsy, spay/neuter, or any form of anesthesia, inquire about body heat. Tell them Dr. Ward doesn’t like being cold.
I hate being cold. Maybe that’s why I’ve always been so concerned about making sure my pet patients were warm. Turns out more veterinarians may need to track the temperature of their patients. New research indicates that the majority of our furry friends may wake up from anesthesia feeling chilly. And that’s got me burning mad. A study published in the journal Veterinary Record found clinical evidence that 83.6% of 1,525 dogs undergoing surgery or tests requiring anesthesia experienced hypothermia or low core body temperature. The same research team discovered the percentage of cold cats to be 96.7% in an earlier study. In humans, this figure has been found to be between 30 and 60% of patients undergoing surgery and anesthesia. Why the big difference? First the good news: this study was conducted in Spain. Now for the bad news: it’s pretty warm in Spain. I’m joking but maybe, just maybe, our veterinary surgery in the US is better than veterinary teaching hospitals in Spain. Doubtful, but my thermometer is always half-hot.
If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian – they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.
What to Expect After General Anesthesia
So your dog just underwent surgery and everything seems to have went well, but now your dog is shivering and he feels cold, so next thing you know, you are on the Internet googling “help, my dog feels cold after surgery!” Of course, you are concerned, as all sorts of complications come to your mind, and you dont know what to do. Is your dog at risk for freezing to death? Is he in pain? Is he bleeding internally?
Fact is, most likely you have rarely seen your dog shivering in your whole life and watching him/her shivering after being spayed or being neutered, or any other procedure your dog endured, can make you worry. Actually, a dog shivering after surgery is quite common and an insight into what may be happening can help ease your mind, but before reading, grab a warm blanket or two for your dog to warm-up and dont hesitant to call your vet if something appears to be downright wrong!
When your dog is spayed or neutered, or undergoes any procedure that requires an anesthetic drug, he will be prone to some level of problem with his termoregulation system (the system that helps regulate your dogs temperature.)
During surgery and the administration of anesthetic drugs, dogs will undergo several procedures that potentially cause a lowered body temperature.
For instance, when intubated, the dog will breath in cold, dry air directly into the lungs, then some body parts are likely wet with surgical scrub solutions, body cavities may be open and the tables are cold, explains Christopher G. Byers, a board-certified veterinarian specializing in internal medicine.
Anesthetic drugs also tend to decrease the dogs metabolic rate by 15 to 40 percent. With a lower metabolic rate, the dogs hypothalamus (the dogs internal thermostat) is not able to work as efficiently as it should and this impacts the dogs body ability to generate heat. Basically, what happens is that the trigger to generate heat happens only until low temperatures are reached, further explains Dr. Byers.
Veterinarians are well aware of the problems associated with the onset of hypothermia (lowered body temperatures) while the dog is on the surgical table. For this reason, they are highly equipped to minimize the chances for hypothermia complications to set in.
Hypothermia while the dog is under anesthesia can cause lowered blood pressure, arrhythmia, lowered breathing rate, coagulation deficiencies and longer recovery times causing the affected dog to have a hard time metabolizing the anesthetics or waking up properly.
To prevent this from happening, veterinarians have special monitors hooked up to the dog to ensure that the dogs temperature and blood pressure stay at ideal levels. Veterinary staff are specially trained to monitor the dogs heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, body temperature, oxygen levels and carbon dioxide output and promptly take action if there are any abnormalities.
At Tufts University, veterinarians blow warm air over their four-legged patients and use special blankets that recirculate warm water. The IV drip is used to keep dogs hydrated and thus, counteracting the decreased perfusion of blood, while the catheter comes handy to administer drugs quickly should the need arise. Minimizing the duration of the procedure as feasible can also help lower the chances for hypothermia to set in.
After surgery, dogs are still monitored before being sent home. Dogs have towels, blankets, or warming devices underneath them when theyre in the recovery room and their body temperature is monitored every 15 minutes. Sometimes hot water bottles wrapped in blankets are placed for small patients.
Did you know? Young puppies have a harder time regulating their body temperature and therefore can get very chilled when they undergo anesthesia. A small puppy can be warmed up with a hair dryer set on low, blown over the hair while being extra careful moving it all the time, until the pups temperature returns to normal, suggests veterinarian Dr. Gabby.
A dog may therefore be shaking after surgery because he is cold, especially if he was discharged (sent home) shortly after; however, at times shaking, especially along with panting, could also be a sign of pain.
The onset of pain typically appears once the anesthetic starts wearing off. Many dogs are sent home with pain medications and they should be given as directed. Dogs often receive pain meds during surgery, so if the directions clearly say to give pain meds the day after surgery, avoid giving them earlier so to avoid dangerous overdosing Consult with your vet though if your dog seems in pain and you are unsure when you should give them.
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And of course, if your dog seems in pain after surgery and you werent sent home with pain meds, avoid giving any over-the-counter pain relievers which can be toxic and interact with any medications your dog was given.
Did you know? When a dog undergoes a dental cleaning or extraction, the spraying of cold water into the mouth for an extended period of time may greatly reduce a dogs body temperature. The heat loss my be further exacerbated in older dogs because they tend to often lack muscle mass and fat, explains Jennifer Keef, a veterinary technician working in veterinary emergency and critical care. Not to mention the fact that dental procedures are often long, typically ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Along with shaking, some dogs may have cold paws or cold ears after surgery. Not coincidentally, these are the areas that are more prone to getting frost bite, in a non-surgical scenario. The dogs paws are cold because dogs tend to lose heat through their foot pads, explains veterinarian Dr. John.
Generally, though if the dog is able to walk around without problems, it shouldnt be much of a concern, and on top of that, walking around can be helpful as helps in increasing perfusion.
With more blood flowing around, there are chances the dogs temperature may go up as well. However, again, should the dog have problems walking, he should be immediately seen, warns Dr. John.
A dog shaking after surgery is not unusual, but if you are concerned, its a good idea to check your dogs vitals.
First, you can check how well your dogs perfusion is. Lift your dogs lips and check your dogs gums. They should be moist and of a nice bubble gum pink color, a sign that they are nicely vascularized, courtesy of oxygen-rich blood. If the gums are white or pale, the dog should be seen immediately as this can be a sign of internal bleeding.
Perfusion can also be checked by assessing your dogs capillary refill time. Gently press your finger on your dogs gum until it blanches, turning white. Then, release your finger, The gum should ideally return to a healthy pink in 1.5 seconds, but as long as it doesnt take no more than 2 seconds, it should still be fine, remarks veterinarian Ron Hines.
You may also want to take your dogs rectal temperature using a digital thermometer (the type that beeps). Normally, dogs have a temperature anywhere between 101 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If it seems low, like less than 100 degrees, call your veterinarian and report your reading along with a description of your dogs physical state. Call your vet also if the temperature is high (like 103 or over), in this case, your dog may be shivering due to a fever!
If your dog is just shivering due to cold, and he doesnt have any rapid panting, increased respiratory rate, trouble breathing, pale gums, low or high temperatures, or other worrisome symptoms, you can try to help your dog feel better at home, but its never a bad idea to give your vets office a quick call just to make sure the shivering is nothing to worry about.
At home, you can try to cover your dog with some blankets and then record the rectal temperature after a while and see if it has gone up. While using a heat pad may be tempting, consider that there are reports of dogs getting burned this way. When a dog is drowsy after surgery, he may not move away if it gets too hot as he normally would or he might not perceive the heat too well, which makes the use a heat pad particularly risky.
Did you know? According to a study conducted by the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera and published in Veterinary Record , over 80 percent of dogs develop hypothermia after surgery with anesthetic!