Hmm...pre-surgical chest x-rays?

[whuckleberry]

So I'm trying to work up the nerve to make an appointment for Wally's dental cleaning. This will be the first time he'll undergo anesthesia since I've owned him (he was neutered while in foster care) so I'm just a tad apprehensive. I've been carefully reading the information sheet provided by my vet office which explains the procedure. I also decided to browse online to learn more, and came across the website of a vet office that had the following statement: "We require pre-anesthetic blood screening for all pets undergoing surgical procedures. Chest radiographs are recommended for all pets requiring surgery and are mandatory for any pet greater than 7 years of age." This was interesting to me, as my vet does not require x-rays even for seniors (Wally is 8), and I have not heard anyone mention this before. Just curious, does anyone else's vet do this? What sorts of problems would they be looking for?

 

[kittytales]

The previous vet I worked for recommended x-rays during any procedure in which a pet would be under anesthesia. He wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity and get as much as possible done. (Radiographs, nail trims/anal glands/ear cleanings in difficult pets, etc) He never performed x-rays without sedating, so it wasn't part of the pre-anesthetic workup. More of a wellness check for tumors, URI, abnormalities in the lungs and heart in hopes of catching anything that may be developing.

 

[epona]

Congenital heart problems are common in cats - much more so than any other species of domestic animal. Most go undiagnosed for ages or are only discovered post-mortem - an X-ray would pick up the most common form where the heart is enlarged. While having X-rays frequently isn't a good idea unless it's strictly necessary, it's certainly not a bad idea to check once in a while.

 

[whuckleberry]

I see, thanks. So maybe some vets see it as an opportunity to run a general diagnostic test that would otherwise be difficult.

 

[stephanietx]

My vet prefers doing pre-op bloodwork. Never heard of the chest x-rays, though. That's very interesting!