Rat terriers are a generally healthy breed, with a low incidence of congenital health issues that could cause problems with anesthesia. Modern veterinary anesthesia is very safe and closely monitored, and although mild reactions can happen, anesthesia death is considered rare. The most common reactions include low blood pressure, low heart rate and difficulty breathing during the procedure, but the widespread use of heart and respiration monitors means that problems are immediately brought to the attention of the surgical staff, who then take steps to correct the issue.
Rat terriers are popular because of their small size and feisty disposition, but these two traits are the very ones that cause the majority of anesthesia reactions that do occur, however rarely.
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Size
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The most common causes of anesthesia problems for rat terriers are their small size and body structure. Small dogs have a more difficult time maintaining a normal body temperature during surgical procedures, but many vets combat this by placing the dog on top of a heating pad for the duration of the surgery.
The rat terrier's compact, muscular structure means they have a lower percentage of body fat, which causes them to metabolize anesthesia differently, potentially leading to problems like decreased blood pressure and respiration. This does not imply that an overweight rat terrier will fare better, because obesity comes with its own set of anesthesia issues. In addition, the smaller the dog, the more important the accuracy of dosing becomes, because even minor fluctuations can have a greater impact.
Fear
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Fear is a major contributor to anesthesia complications in rat terriers. Being a generally high-strung breed, they tend to be easily frightened when confronted with an unfamiliar situation in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people. Fear causes the release of adrenaline and other chemicals within the body, which increases the heart rate and requires a higher dose of anesthesia for complete sedation. Because a higher dose may be too much for the little body to process safely, many veterinarians choose to administer a presurgical sedative to calm the dog.
Congenital Conditions
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Anesthesia complications cause by congenital disorders can be the most heartbreaking because many times they are impossible to predict. Cardiomyopathy, in which the walls of the heart chambers are of abnormal thickness, can cause anesthesia death by changing the way the heart pumps the blood. Different metabolic enzyme deficiencies and disorders of the central nervous system can also increase risk by inefficiently metabolizing the anesthesia. Since the "used" anesthesia does not leave the body as the "new" anesthesia enters, the anesthetizing agent builds up in the bloodstream, which can result in a fatal concentration. Many veterinarians recommend preanesthetic blood panels, which can be helpful in detecting any abnormalities that could indicate a predisposition to some of these problems.
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