Anesthesia is a term that strikes fear into the hearts of many greyhound owners and may make them hesitant to pursue necessary medical treatments requiring anesthetizing their pet. One of the origins of that fear is a condition called malignant hyperthermia (MH). Some greyhound owners may have already lost a pet to MH or know someone who has. Others may think their pet has suffered from an episode of malignant hyperthermia when in fact they have not.
MH can be triggered by gas anesthetics (as opposed to injectable anesthetics), extreme exercise, and stress. The only treatment for true episodes of MH is an intravenous injection of the muscle relaxant, Dantrolene, as well as supportive intravenous fluid therapy, immediate removal of the patient from gas anesthetics, external cooling, and respiratory support. Even with appropriate treatment, this disease can be fatal.
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