Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is low body temperature after anesthesia in dogs
By Redondo, J I et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2012·Departamento de Medicina y Cirugí, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Retrospective study of the prevalence of postanaesthetic hypothermia in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at the body temperatures of 1,525 dogs after they were put under anesthesia for various procedures. It found that many dogs experienced a drop in temperature, with over half showing slight hypothermia (lower than normal body temperature) and nearly 30% experiencing moderate hypothermia. Factors like the length of the anesthesia, the dog's health condition, and the type of procedure affected how low their temperature dropped. Keeping an eye on a dog's temperature during and after anesthesia is important, as it can help prevent complications.
People also search for: dog anesthesia recovery temperature · why is my dog cold after surgery · signs of hypothermia in dogs
Abstract
The anaesthetic records of 1525 dogs were examined to determine the prevalence of postanaesthetic hypothermia, its clinical predictors and consequences. Temperature was recorded throughout the anaesthesia. At the end of the procedure, details coded in were: hyperthermia (>39.50°C), normothermia (38.50°C-39.50°C), slight (38.49°C-36.50°C), moderate (36.49°C-34.00°C) and severe hypothermia (<34.00°C). Statistical analysis consisted of multiple regression to identify the factors that are associated with the temperature at the end of the procedure. Before premedication, the temperature was 38.7 ± 0.6°C (mean ± sd). At 60, 120 and 180 minutes from induction, the temperature was 36.7 ± 1.3°C, 36.1 ± 1.4°C and 35.8 ± 1.5°C, respectively. The prevalence of hypothermia was: slight, 51.5 per cent (95 per cent CI 49.0 to 54.0 per cent); moderate, 29.3 per cent (27.1-31.7 per cent) and severe: 2.8% (2.0-3.7%). The variables that associated with a decrease in the temperature recorded at the end of the anaesthesia were: duration of the preanesthetic time, duration of the anaesthesia, physical condition (ASA III and ASA IV dogs showed lower temperatures than ASA I dogs), the reason for anaesthesia (anaesthesia for diagnostic procedures or thoracic surgery reduce the temperature when compared with minor procedures), and the recumbency during the procedure (sternal and dorsal recumbencies showed lower temperatures than lateral recumbency). The temperature before premedication and the body surface (BS) were associated with a higher temperature at the end of the anaesthesia, and would be considered as protective factors.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22922707/