Is it safe for a dog with diabetes mellitus to receive a general anesthetic?
Normally animals need to have an empty stomach before they are anesthetized. A diabetic dog that has not been fed needs far less insulin. Your veterinarian will advise you on how much insulin to give your dog before it is admitted or may wish to administer a reduced dose of insulin for you. Usually a diabetic dog is administered intravenous fluid therapy during an anesthesia. This is a means of giving fluid to the animal when it cannot drink. Apart from needing a reduced amount of insulin and fluid therapy (which is also given to some non-diabetic animals undergoing anesthesia), your diabetic dog is not at any additional risk from anesthesia than a normal dog of the same age.
