Review outlines anaesthetic planning for dogs with MMVD

A new narrative review in the Journal of Small Animal Practice lays out a practical framework for pre-anaesthetic risk assessment and management in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease, or MMVD, the most common cardiac disorder in dogs. The authors argue that while the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status system tracks rising mortality with higher grades, it’s too subjective to fully stratify risk in dogs with preclinical MMVD, and they call for a broader, stage-based approach that combines disease severity, procedure urgency, anaesthetic planning, and perioperative monitoring. The review builds on the 2019 ACVIM consensus guidelines, which updated diagnosis and treatment recommendations for canine MMVD, including how dogs are staged before and after the onset of heart failure. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary teams, the review addresses a common real-world problem: many dogs with MMVD still need routine dentistry, imaging, mass removals, and other procedures that require sedation or anaesthesia. A more structured pre-anaesthetic approach could help clinicians move beyond a simple “heart murmur equals high risk” mindset and instead tailor decisions to ACVIM stage, hemodynamic stability, current medications, and the resources available in general practice versus referral settings. That’s especially relevant because MMVD affects roughly 10% of dogs seen in primary care, and management has changed substantially in recent years as evidence around staging and treatment has evolved. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: Watch for whether this review starts influencing practice protocols, continuing education, or future consensus-style guidance on anaesthesia in dogs with cardiac disease. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)