Why is it okay for a dog to drink water before surgery but not okay for a person to drink water before surgery?
Is it? My vet says no water after 9pm the day before any anesthesia.
Lily’s having surgery? What happened?
Interesting; mine says no food after 7 pm, but water is OK.
Limiting food intake is generally done before surgery to decrease the risk of anesthetic complications. When you are under general anesthesia, you don’t swallow like you’re supposed to, so if you vomit, the vomit will trickle back down your trachea and into your lungs, a neat trick known as aspiration pneumonia.
Ideally, the stomach would be completely empty before starting anesthesia. Since it takes several hours (depending) for the stomach to empty all the way, the standard recommendation is to withhold food and water the night before the surgery.
However, small animals like cats and dogs dehydrate faster than your typical adult human. A dehydrated animal going into surgery has worse odds for recovery than an animal who vomits up a moderate amount of water during anesthesia. It’s a balancing act, and it varies depending on the kind of animal and the exact situation.
We were told we had to put the stray cat in the garage with no food or water for at least 10 hours before neutering. This was stressed repeatedly–no water.
How long ago did this happen?
I agree with what Pullet said above. I also believe that following the advice/requests of the person doing the procedure is best. Each case has individual needs and is best evaluated by the person most familiar with those needs.