View Single Post
  #1  
Old May 1st, 2001, 09:23 AM
petdr's Avatar
petdr petdr is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 262
Arrow

Question:
My dog is 14 years old. She needs to have her teeth cleaned and therefore would need to have an anesthetic. Her heart, lungs and kidneys are in good condition. However, she had some blood work done which showed that she has a slightly elevated liver ensign.

Will this make it dangerous for her to have anesthetic which is of course necessary to have her teeth cleaned.

Would love to have your opinion. Thanks

Answer:


Depending on the nature of the liver disease there definitely can be a risk especially if there is a cancer etc. There are diagnostics that can more accurately define liver disease incl. bile acids, ultrasound and biopsy to ensure peace of mind and evaluation of safety.
If the changes are minor, and your veterinarian is happy that the changes are not serious, I would strongly recommend any pet at this age automatically be placed on iv fluids for the entire procedure.

The flip side is that if you don't take the step of a dental, then the bacteria in the mouth can contribute to heart, liver and kidney disease.

Ask your Veterinarian which course of action would best suit your pet.

Hope this helps.

Martin Slome DVM

Centre Street Animal Hospital
7700 Bathurst Street Units 40-42
Thornhill, Ontario
L4J 7Y3
(905) 771-9855
Reply With Quote