Age is not a disease. Mature dogs and cats that are otherwise healthy are generally able to tolerate anesthesia for an elective procedure. However, anesthesia can be a risk for dogs and cats just as it is for humans, which is why we take care to further reduce the dangers by following a proactive protocol to assess our patients and monitor their care throughout the dental procedure. These precautions include pre-anesthetic testing, inhalant gas, electronic monitoring, and intravenous fluids. Please remember, the adverse effects of bad teeth on the overall health of the pet greatly outweigh the anesthetic risk.