Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risk factors for dog death within 14 days after dental anesthesia
By Spaar Weiss, Melinda R et al.·Published in Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia·2025·Animal Dental Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Risk factors associated with increased mortality within 14 days of general anesthesia in specialty veterinary dentistry and oral surgery practices.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at dogs that underwent general anesthesia for dental procedures and found that the overall risk of dying within two weeks was low, at 0.37%. However, older dogs, particularly those around 12 years old, were at a higher risk compared to younger dogs, who averaged about 7 years old. The length of anesthesia also played a role, with longer procedures linked to increased mortality. This information can help pet owners, especially those with older dogs, have informed discussions with their veterinarians about the risks of anesthesia during dental treatments.
People also search for: dog dental surgery risks · anesthesia death in older dogs · how safe is anesthesia for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the overall mortality rate and risk factors associated with mortality in dogs within 2 weeks of general anesthesia in a specialty veterinary dentistry and oral surgery practice. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. ANIMALS: A total of 3210 dogs were anesthetized for advanced imaging and/or oral surgery. METHODS: Electronic medical records of four clinics were examined for dogs that had undergone advanced imaging and/or oral surgery requiring general anesthesia over a 2 year period (2021-2023). Data were collected on patient demographics, procedural and anesthetic details, and mortality status 2 weeks after anesthesia. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify risk factors associated with anesthetic death. RESULTS: The mortality rate of the study population of dogs was 0.37%. Median age at death was statistically higher than that of dogs alive 2 weeks after anesthesia following univariate analysis (12 and 7 years, respectively). Median anesthetic duration was statistically longer in dogs that died than those that were alive following univariate analysis (177.5 minutes and 141 minutes, respectively). Following multivariate analysis, however, only older age remained a significant risk factor (odds ratio 1.364). Weight, sex, and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification were not statistically significant risk factors for anesthetic death. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Data from this study may facilitate risk discussions with clients, especially owners of older dogs undergoing anesthesia in veterinary dental practices.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40350333/