To date no multicenter assessment of incidence or risk factors for post anesthetic aspiration in the canine population has been performed. The goal of this study was to estimate incidence and identify risk factors for post anesthetic aspiration pneumonia in the canine patient. Medical record databases from six institutions were searched to identify all cases of pneumonia in dogs that had general anesthesia from 1999 to 2009. After record review, dogs were included in the study if a radiographic diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia was made within 4 days following anesthesia. Each affected dog was compared with two unaffected control dogs. Control dogs were randomly selected from the remaining canine patients coded for one hour of anesthesia in each database. The overall incidence was 1.7 in 1000. Factors associated with increased risk for aspiration pneumonia included: age, weight, ASA status, history of neurological disease or respiratory disease, abdominal exploratory surgery, upper airway surgery, use of continuous rate infusion, megaesophagus, endoscopy, hydromorphone at induction and vomiting or regurgitation anytime during the anesthetic or recovery period. The combined data from the previously described retrospective study and a future prospective study of post anesthetic aspiration risk factors have the potential to create a scale for aspiration pneumonia risk.
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