Risks of cat anesthesia

1. Statistically speaking, the probability of cat death caused by general anesthesia is only 0.24%.

2. The risks of anesthesia include: lumps at the injection site, temporary heart and respiratory problems, aspiration pneumonia, organ failure, blindness, thrombosis, epilepsy, anaphylactic shock, and even death.

3. According to the cat anesthesia guidelines released by the AAFP in 2018, most deaths caused by anesthesia are due to suffocation due to blockage of the cat’s trachea.

4. Cats may experience delayed recovery, confusion, irritability and other symptoms after general anesthesia. These are relatively mild conditions and doctors can generally deal with them appropriately.

5. Cats with the following diseases or characteristics are at higher risk of anesthesia: brachycephalic cats, dehydration, diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases, kidney disease, liver disease, obesity, elderly cats (over 12 years old), underweight (less than 4-5 pounds).