The physiologic deterioration that occurs with age may cause complications during anesthesia.1 Awareness of differences in geriatric patients and appropriate planning can help the practitioner avoid problems.
The definition of “geriatric” in this context is important. Most references have reverted to using a percentage of life span for a particular breed (usually 75%–80%) versus a concrete number (such as 8 years old).2,3 This definition allows for the huge variability in breed life spans. For example, a 6-year-old Chihuahua is not considered geriatric whereas a 6-year-old Great Dane might be.