Whippets and Anesthesia
by A. Jalynn Almond

According to anecdotal evidence and published/documented reports and accounts, whippets and other members of the "sighthound" group, may respond poorly to certain drugs or classes of drugs and respond in ways which are different from the responses of the general dog population. 

There are several reasons posited for this differing response, including differing body fat levels (sighthounds are said to average about 17% body fat; other "non-sighthound" breeds and mixed breeds reportedly average around 35%); predisposition for hyperthermia during anesthesia; and hematological differences between sighthounds and other dog breeds which may complicate interpretation of bloodwork data. 

Unfortunately, at least one veterinarian has noted that the ever-present surgical risk of anesthesia is generally minimal, unless you own a sighthound.  In his article, "A Safe Method of Sighthound Anesthesia", Rodger I. Barr, DVM says "the greatest medical injustices perpetrated against these [sighthound] breeds is the lack of instruction in veterinary medical colleges concerning the differences between these breeds and all other dogs of the world."

Dr. Barr goes on to say that the most commonly used anesthetic regime in veterinary medicine incorporates a short-term thiobarbiturate followed by gas anesthesia, and that while this is a satisfactory option for most breeds of dogs, for sighthounds it can be fatal.  According to Dr. Barr and others, these drugs are highly fat soluble and are metabolized over time in the liver.  Since sighthounds generally have very little fat and since there is evidence to suggest that sighthounds are less able to metabolize drugs in their liver than other breeds, these options are not considered appropriate for sighthounds.

As recently as January, 2009, I was contacted by a fellow whippet owner who had recently moved to the area.  She contacted me to get a recommendation for a veterinarian, this after she had lived through her own nightmare.  This owner had two older whippets.  When she moved to the area, she contacted local veterinarians inquiring as to their expertise in treating sighthounds/whippets.  The veterinarian whom she selected had a wonderful demeanor and assured the owner that he had ample experience with sighthounds and their particular needs.  A couple of months later, one of the whippets went in for what should have been a routine teeth cleaning.   Suffice it to say that the whippet was anesthetized with the thiobarbiturate/gas anesthsia combination not recommended for sighthounds--with unfortunate, but not necessarily unexpected--results.  As it turned out, this veterinarian had significantly less experience with and knowledge about the particular needs of sighthounds than he had led this owner to believe.

As a pet and sighthound owner, you are the last line of defense for your dog.  Educate yourself about the particular health issues and/or predilictions of your whippet or other sighthound breed, know that it is OK to "vet" your vet and ask questions regarding his or her or experience with whippets/sighthounds and their particular health concerns, and get recommendations for a veterinarian from other whippet/sighthound owners in your area.

 

References

Court, M. H., Anesthesia of the sighthound.  Clinical techniques in small animal practice 1999, 14:38-43.

Casey, G., Saluki Health Anesthesia and your Saluki, www.salukiclub.org/SalukiHealth/salukhealthanesthesia.html

Barr, R.I., A Safe Method of Sighthound Anesthesia, www.afghansbyrodin.com/page7.html

Evans, S., Anaesthesia in Sighthounds, www.affieloverbreedclubs.co.uk/anaesthesia.htm

 

This article is provided for reference only and is not intended to substitute for using your own best judgment or for consultation with a veterinarian.  Acceptance and use of this information constitues an acknowledgement that the user hereby releases and indemnifies the author and DuMond Whippets/DuMond Kennels from any and all liability and damages sustained by the user as a result of any information obtained from this web site.