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Is anesthesia risky for my 13-year-old dog's tooth extraction?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Should I be worried about putting a 13 year old dog under anesthetic to have a tooth pulled?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on September 20th, 2016

This is a good question! Any anesthesia has risks, and there can be increased risk in elderly dogs because their organs aren't functioning as well as they used to function. That said, however, your vet would not put your dog through anesthesia if they thought it was too great a risk. You can request your vet to run a geriatric blood panel to see how his organs are functioning to get a better idea of the risk of anesthesia. If he needs a tooth pulled, having it out will make him feel much better and I do recommend having it done if your vet thinks it's safe to do.

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14Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Sarah Smith, Bsc (Hons) BVM&S MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Age itself is not a disease, as long as your dogs heart and lungs are functioning well and your vet has checked their internal organ function with a blood test and things are well there is no reason your dog can't undergo an anaesthetic. Your vet will also be able to provide intravenous fluid therapy to help support our dog during the procedure as well as monitor different health parameters during the procedure. They can also use nerve blocks for the procedure which means they can keep the general anaesthesia much lighter, also minimising risks. Leaving a diseased tooth can actually be very dangerous for your dog has it can lead to systemic infection and cause damage to the heart, kidneys and other organs, damage that will likely be irreversible. That being said there are always risks with any anaesthesia in any patient regardless of age, so you are right to be cautious and think things through. Best of luck!

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    13Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 19th, 2018

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Anesthesia is a risk in any patient- young or old. If the veterinarian is taking proper precautions- checking blood work prior to the procedure, radiographs of the thorax to look at the heart, and proper monitoring during the procedure- the benefits may outweigh the risks. Dental disease is painful and the bacteria in the mouth can get in the blood stream and affect the heart. I would discuss this with the veterinarian and if they feel like your pet is healthy enough to have the procedure, I would. Good luck and kisses to your pup!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 5th, 2018

    I understand being worried about Topsy, but anesthetic procedures can be safely done in older dogs. Teeth problems are actually very painful to a dog, and dogs can be very stoic about pain and not show signs of it when they are truly in pain. In addition, needing a tooth removed means that it's either very lose or quite decayed, which is painful. The vet would not be recommending this dental procedure if they did not feel it was safe for her. That being said, every anesthesia has it's risks, even in young dogs, and the vet will be monitoring her closely during the procedure. Topsy will likely feel much better having this tooth removed, and if the vet feels it's safe, I recommend having this procedure done. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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