Kelly Serfas, a Certified Veterinary Technician in Bethlehem, PA, contributed to this article.
Two of the most frequent comments veterinarians hear about senior dogs who need surgery are:

• “That’s a lot of money for a 12-year-old”
• “I’m concerned about the risks of anesthesia”

As I always say, “age is not a disease.” What matters is the overall health of the patient, not the age. There are 14-year-old dogs who are healthier than 8-year-olds. When properly done, the risk of anesthesia is not significantly greater in seniors.
Keep in mind, when a senior dog requires anesthesia, it’s not for the fun of it. It is for a good medical reason, such as cleaning dirty teeth, or fixing a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), or removing a tumor. In any of these situations, the reason we recommend anesthesia and surgery is to improve the dog’s quality of life. So, instead of focusing on the dog’s age, which is just a number, we should focus on the health of the patient and the risks involved. In addition, we need to discuss how to decrease or manage the risks. Read more