Companion Animal Welfare

Cat Welfare and Geriatric Anaesthesia

Geriatric cats face elevated anaesthetic risks. Modern monitoring, anaesthetic protocols, and pre-anaesthetic assessment significantly reduce risk and improve welfare outcomes.

Key Facts

Cats over 12 years face elevated risk from anaesthesia due to organ reserve reduction
Pre-anaesthetic blood testing identifies organ compromise before procedures
CRI (constant rate infusion) anaesthesia improves stability in high-risk patients
Epidural and locoregional anaesthesia reduce drug doses and anaesthetic risk
Post-anaesthetic monitoring is essential during recovery from general anaesthesia

Welfare Considerations

Geriatric cat anaesthetic risk is real but manageable. Pre-anaesthetic assessment, modern monitoring, and appropriate protocols enable safe anaesthesia for procedures that significantly improve welfare even in very old cats.

What You Can Do

Request pre-anaesthetic blood testing for cats over 10 years
Ensure your vet uses modern monitoring equipment for senior cat anaesthesia
Ask about locoregional anaesthesia options to reduce drug doses
Follow all pre and post-anaesthetic instructions carefully