Gastroesophageal reflux in anesthetized dogs: a review ¤/Reflujo gastroesofágico en perros anestesiados: revisión de literatura/Refluxo gastroesofágico em cães anestesiados: revisão de literatura

Gastroesophageal reflux can be a catastrophic illness in small animals during anesthesia since its complications can cause serious pathologies, such as esophagitis, esophageal stenosis and aspiration pneumonia. With an incidence from 12 to 78.5% in anesthetized dogs, gastroesophageal reflux is normally silent during anesthesia and will be notices only if regurgitation occurs and stomach acid is present in the nasal or oral cavities. In humans, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a well-defined pathology where the lower esophageal sphincter has a sustained weakness. However, in dogs, gastroesophageal reflux disease as such is not well established, if at all; it has only been described as gastroesophagic reflux, occurring principally in anesthetized animals. This paper aims to discuss a series of conditions that could predispose dogs to gastroesophageal reflux during anesthesia and to assist in the prevention and diagnosis of this condition.