In the 12 hours prior to a surgery of our pets, it is contraindicated that they eat or drink.

The reason for this does not lie in the operation itself, but in the anesthesia.

Anesthesia is the state to which an animal is subjected in order to perform a surgery.

There are three types of anesthesia:

• Local
• Regional
• General

In the first two, if the animal ate or drank some liquid before the operation does not pose any danger. However, it is advisable to not give them any food or liquid in case any complication arise during the surgery that require the use of general anesthesia.

So, what is the risk?

When an animal is anesthetized with general anesthesia, it stops breathing. Therefore, it is necessary to place an endotracheal tube to provide mechanical ventilation and air to reach the lungs. That is where the danger lies.

When inserting the tube into the trachea, if the animal’s stomach contains food or liquid, there is a possibility that some of that content will return to the mouth and pass into the lungs. As the animal is asleep, it cannot cough, and its body does not produce protective reflexes typical of when it is awake, and bronchoaspiration occurs.

Bronchoaspiration is a serious clinical situation. Basically, what it happens is that the food or liquid consumed is now in the lungs and there is no space to produce oxygen, besides, the gastric acid can damage the lungs, and the consequence of this can compromise the life of the animal.

What we can do to prevent damage the health of our pets is not provide them any type of food during 12 hours prior to the surgery. And not to let them drink any liquids for a minimum of 6 hours before the procedure.

Remember that the health of our pets is very important to everyone, so we recommend you browse our Tips section to find out interesting facts that will help you with your puppy or kitten.