Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Arrhythmias common after spay or neuter in young healthy dogs
By Duerr, Felix M et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2007·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of perioperative arrhythmias in 50 young, healthy dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 50 young, healthy dogs under 2 years old experienced heart rhythm problems after routine surgeries like spaying or neutering. The most common issues included temporary heart block and premature heartbeats, which were detected using a special heart monitor. Out of these dogs, 9 showed significant arrhythmias, with some experiencing a specific type of dangerous rhythm called the R-on-T phenomenon. Thankfully, all dogs recovered without any long-term issues, but it highlights the importance of monitoring heart health during and after surgery.
People also search for: dog heart problems after surgery · young dog arrhythmia symptoms · spaying neutering dog heart monitoring
Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the type and frequency of cardiac dysrhythmias occurring after routine ovariohysterectomy or orchidectomy in young, healthy dogs by using 2 anesthetic protocols (group I: propofol and isoflurane; group II: thiopental and halothane). Fifty dogs under 2 years of age, judged to be clinically normal by physical examination and standard electrocardiography, were evaluated by using 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography. The most common dysrhythmias in the postoperative period were 2nd degree atrioventricular block (44%), ventricular premature complexes (44%), and atrial premature complexes (32%). For study purposes, more than 100 ventricular or atrial premature complexes per 24 hours, or any occurrence of R-on-T phenomenon, ventricular or atrial tachycardia were classified as clinically significant arrhythmias. Significant arrhythmias were observed in 9 dogs in the postoperative period, 5 of which were in group I and 4 in group II. All of these dogs were under 1 year of age. The R-on-T phenomenon occurred in 4 dogs in group II and 1 dog in group I. Results from this study show that significant arrhythmias, including R-on-T phenomenon, can occur in the perioperative period in young, healthy dogs undergoing routine surgeries with both protocols used.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17334031/