The characteristics of recovery from total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and inhalation anesthesia with isoflurane was clinically compared in 149 client-owned dogs that anesthetized for surgical or diagnostic procedures. In all dogs, anesthesia was induced with an intravenous injection of propofol following premedication with acepromazine or diazepam. As a result, 58 dogs anesthetized with propofol-TIVA showed slower but smoother recovery than 91 dogs anesthetized with isoflurane anesthesia. The dogs stood at 34.5 +/- 19.3 and 27.7 +/- 17.2 min after propofol-TIVA and isoflurane anesthesia, respectively. Adverse effects, including hypersalivation, neurologic excitement (paddling, muscle tremor/twitching, opisthotonos) and vomiting/retching, were observed in similar infrequent incidences during the recovery from both anesthetic protocols. Propofol-TIVA is suggested to be an alternative anesthetic protocol for canine practice.