SURGERY GUIDELINES FOR GREAT DANES

[jpy]

Paul has this linked on the front page of DOL, but I've posted it hear simply for wider dissemination. But PLEASE DO VISIT the parent club website, see this and MUCH more:
www.gdca.org


Surgery Guidelines for Great Danes

The following information regarding both routine spay and neuter surgery as well as emergency situations in the Great Dane (such as those involving C-sections) is presented as a basic protocol to help avoid complications such as DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy) which appear to occur in a higher number of giant dogs undergoing surgery than the norm. Therefore, the GDCA offers the following information for owners and breeders of Great Danes.

Several veterinary clinics with regular and extensive experience dealing with giant breeds have developed similar protocols for surgery that can be recommended preferentially for giant breeds. These are techniques that have proven highly successful; both in routine spay/neuter surgeries as well as more critical care situations, such as C-sections. Such a set of protocols is offered below. We suggest you download it and discuss this with your veterinarian PRIOR to any surgical appointment.

Please review the following with your attending veterinarian before deciding to have surgery done on your Dane:

1. First find a veterinarian experienced with surgeries involving giant breeds.

2. All elective surgeries, such as spay/neuter, should be done ideally only on healthy animals. Spays are best planned in anestrous: about 3 months after the last season. Please insure your veterinarian is aware of any health concerns you might have about your dog prior to surgery.

3. Prior to any surgery, request that the veterinarian do a complete physical examination, including a good heart auscultation, and EKG.

4. Ensure that you elect to have the pre-surgical blood work done (CBC and serum chemistry panel) and ask them to also include a CLOTTING PROFILE.

5. If all blood work and the exam are normal, then schedule the surgery and fast the dog overnight. It's not generally necessary to withhold water for 12 hours (simply put the water bowl away at bedtime).

6. Ask that the surgeon insert an IV catheter prior to surgery. Fluid therapy should generally be administered as a safety precaution. Pulse oximetry and cardiac monitoring are also recommended. If blood pressure monitoring is available, consider any extra costs as potentially insuring additional safety margins.

7. Spay surgery in conjunction with C-section is not always the safest option in giant dogs. Be sure to discuss the pros and cons of two separate surgeries vs. doing both procedures at once with your veterinarian.

8. Currently, the induction agent, Propofol (deprivan), and the gas anesthesia, Sevoflurane, are considered the most ideal (safe and effective) anesthetic agents. These agents are not always available and always cost more to use. Valium, ketamine, and the gas isoflurane are widely available and generally acceptable. Due to the variations in physiology in giant breeds, drugs such as acepromazine, rompun and the thiopentals are less appropriate choices. Discuss this with your veterinarian. Also discuss appropriate pain control for your dog when contemplating surgery for your Great Dane.

Prepared by the Health and Welfare committee of the Great Dane Club of America. Written by Sue Cates, RVT and reviewed by LeAnn Lake-Heidke, DVM.

Permission to reprint as submitted for educational purposes is given.

[paul]

Also see the original post at http://www.danesonline.com/dcforum/DCForumID8/3597.html

[astridj]

Question about No. 2

"2. All elective surgeries, such as spay/neuter, should be done ideally only on healthy animals. Spays are best planned in anestrous: about 3 months after the last season. Please insure your veterinarian is aware of any health concerns you might have about your dog prior to surgery"

Three month's after last season - fine, but what about spaying some time BEFORE the FIRST season? Is the GDCA now saying that it IS in fact preferable to let a GD go through first heat?
Thanks, JP!

[LDBrennan]

Isoflurane is definately an inferior anesthetic. A lot cheaper, but a much long wake-up time. The period before reqaining their reflexes ( especially swallowing) is a vulnerable period and should be as short as possible.I drive the Vets crazy with anesthesia questions, but I won't accept anything the would not be used as the highest standard on humans, and I will pay the difference
Linda

[Oni]

I copied this page and sent it to all my personal vets and emergency clinic.

There is also a copy of this in my Danes' medical/first aid boxes, plus another copy is kept with my vehicle registration. If an accident occurs while traveling, law enforcement will grab the vehicle registration and this document.

There is also a letter attached stating the name and phone numbers of home vet and list other contact numbers for Danes or passenger information. I also stated that full payment is guaranteed, regardless extreme costs, if vets determine the treatment is worthwhile. (Just a safety measure for those vets who may think price could be a deterrent if I am unable to tell them my wishes).
This type of information is needed in a printed format, close to your Danes, in case you are incapable of communicating your wishes for your dog's care.

[fosters mom]

I like that there is sooo much more information here now... This is like an encyclopedia for any question you could have about your Dane (well almost anything).
But... I wanted to put my 2 cents in here. In the original post it mentions Ketamine. That was what was used when Emma was spayed. And I just wanted to let everyone know that a liver function screen would have saved me a lot of heartache before having her spayed. I went to pick her up after the surgery and she had been in recovery for about 4-5 hours. Well, she still had not moved from where they had put her. She was on a MAJOR trip, sort-of like an acid trip. I would wave my hand in front of her, and it would take about 3 minutes before she would actually see it and it would make her jump. The vet was going to leave her there unattended thru the night, but I refused that option. I took her home with me and about 3 hours later, she had a severe seizure. She lost all control of her functions and was completely unresponsive. Well, after that the vet did tests and put her on an iv for 4 days in the hospital. Still after flushing her for that long, she just acted strange for almost 2 weeks. After all was said and done, we found out she had a liver shunt and couldn't metabolise the Ketamine. It just kept running thru her system, repeatedly, causing freakish things to go on inside her. So, sorry this was so long, but if it helps anyone else, I'm a happy camper. Heather

[grace_under_fire]

I have a similar question to that of Astrid.

My female dane (first Dane I have ever owned) just turned five months old. The breeder that I got her from - who is also a veterinarian - said that absolutely under no circumstances should I get her spayed until she is 1 year old (that I must wait until she is mostly done growing).

I have two other dogs, and I got them both spayed very early in life. I would prefer to get my Dane puppy spayed BEFORE her first heat cycle - plus I heard that lowers the risk of cancer. But the breeder specifically said not to do that. Is getting her spayed now (at 5 months) really a health risk for this breed? Do I really have to wait until she is a year old?

Thanks. :-)

[Boos_bug]

every heat cycle a bitch goes thru puts her at more risk for breast tumors. If a dog is going to get them spaying before a heat takes away all risk. at 1 heat you have a 25% chance. 2 heats 50%...3 heats 75% percent and after 4 heats your gonna get them(if the dog was going to get them at all. not all dogs that are unspayed will get them.) my dane didn't go into heat until she was about 15 months old but thats not all danes. It is healthiest to have them spayed as early as possible.

A dog does not need to go thru a heat before getting spayed!!!! just like a while ago it was believed that a bitch should have a litter before being spayed. the younger the better at 5 months i would do it now young and healthy and better able to cope with the after surgery!!

Kayla

[Emily]

Are those guidelines missing anything? I thought I had also read that their head needed to be elevated during surgery. Can someone add to these guidelines or point me to more info? I'd like to get Anka spayed, but am scared to death.

[Emily]

Are those guidelines missing anything? I thought I had also read that their head needed to be elevated during surgery. Can someone add to these guidelines or point me to more info? I'd like to get Anka spayed, but am scared to death.