Anesthesia of geriatric animals (clinical case)

Abstract

Animals of all ages may need surgical care. In most cases, elderly patients have chronic diseases and the body's reserve capabilities differ significantly from younger individuals. Age-related involution of metabolic processes, a decrease in the reactivity and adaptive capacity of an elderly body, along with postoperative trauma, pain and stress, significantly increases the risk of postoperative complications and mortality. The purpose of the research is to identify the features of anesthetic and therapeutic measures during keratectomy and removal of an eye neoplasm in a geriatric animal. The research was conducted at the Vetkom Veterinary Clinic in Tyumen in 2025. The article describes a case from practice, using the example of an 18-year-old cat who underwent keratectomy and removal of a neoplasm in the medial corner of the eye. The operation was performed to improve the patient's quality of life. The article presents an anesthetic protocol, as well as treatment regimens before surgery and in the postoperative period. In the process of aging, there is a decrease in metabolic processes, a decrease in the reactivity of the body, which increases the risk of postoperative complications and postoperative mortality. Despite all the physiological changes in geriatric patients, their age cannot be considered a contraindication to anesthesia. The monitoring of physiological parameters during the patient's anesthesia contributed to the favorable course of the operation to remove the neoplasm of the eye. The attentive attitude of the attending physician with regular checkups and recording the dynamics of treatment made it possible to cure this pathology. Therefore, this clinical case is evidence that the animal's condition has stabilized in the postoperative period, and there have been no complaints about its well-being from the owners.