Good footing is necessary for horses during recovery. | Photo: Photos.com

A board-certified veterinarian anesthesiologist with 35 years of experience, Hubbell presented his recommendations in a lecture at the 2013 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Convention, held Dec. 7-11 in Nashville, Tenn.

Any time veterinarians put animals under anesthesia, there’s risk involved, Hubbell said. But for horses the possibility for problems is greater than it is for other species. For example, it’s estimated that one out of 100 horses might die under anesthesia, he said; in comparison, only one out of 1,000 dogs or cats die under anesthesia.

To minimize or identify risk prior to surgery, Hubbell stressed to the veterinary audience that they should complete blood work (prior to day of surgery), collect a full patient history, and perform and record a physical exam prior to anesthesia induction. “Preanesthetic blood work does not need to be extensive for short procedures,” he said