Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart risks stay low in dogs with repeated anesthesia for radiation
By Baetge, Courtney L et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2026·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Decreased intra-anesthetic cardiovascular complications and stable cardiac troponin I in 12 dogs undergoing repeated anesthesia for radiation therapy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Twelve dogs undergoing radiation therapy were anesthetized repeatedly, and researchers monitored their heart health during the process. They found that complications like slow heart rate and low blood pressure decreased over time, while the levels of a heart protein (cardiac troponin I) remained stable or even improved in some dogs. This suggests that with proper monitoring and care, dogs can safely undergo multiple anesthesia sessions for treatment. Overall, the study indicates that owners can feel more confident about their pets receiving repeated anesthesia for radiation therapy.
People also search for: dog anesthesia safety · heart health during dog surgery · radiation therapy for dogs side effects
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe cardiovascular intra-anesthetic complications and ultrasensitive serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations in dogs anesthetized repeatedly for radiation therapy (RT). ANIMALS: 12 client-owned dogs anesthetized once daily (Monday through Friday) for 10 to 20 sessions, totaling 218 general anesthesia (GA) episodes. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: American Society of Anesthesiologists III sevoflurane-anesthetized dogs (median age, 10 years [range, 2 to 11]; body weight, 27.5 kg [range, 6.0 to 42.3]) undergoing RT. RESULTS: Comparing the first 5 to the last 5 GA episodes, the incidence of bradycardia (heart rate [HR] < 60 beats/min) decreased from 58.3% to 43.8%, hypotension (mean arterial pressure [MAP] < 60 mm Hg) from 28.3% to 16.3%, and hypertension (MAP > 120 mm Hg) from 20.0% to 9.4%. Tachycardia (HR > 160 beats/min [10%]) and ventricular arrhythmias (2.3%) remained infrequent. Fluid bolus administration increased from 5.0% to 20.8%; anticholinergics and inotropes decreased from 35.0% to 15.0%. Median (range) cTnI concentrations were (ng/mL) 0.073 (0.007 to 0.685) at baseline and 0.083 (0.006 to 0.685), 0.073 (0.018 to 0.286), 0.062 (0.010 to 0.265), and 0.033 (0.026 to 0.121) after 5, 10, 15, and 20 GA episodes, respectively. Two dogs had transient elevations after 5 GA episodes (0.132 and 0.500 ng/mL), which normalized; 3 had elevated baseline cTnI (0.135 to 0.685 ng/mL), which decreased during RT; 1 had cardiac disease. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: With cardiovascular monitoring and timely support, intra-anesthetic complication decreased, and cTnI remained stable or declined with repeated anesthetics. These findings support owner-informed decision-making regarding repeated GA for RT in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41092946/