Surgery FAQ
Information for Your Pet’s Anesthetic Procedure – Surgery & Dental
One to Two Days Prior to Your Pet’s Procedure
Our staff will call you prior to your scheduled surgery day with a check in time and provide you with a surgical estimate for your pet’s procedure via email.
In most cases, we have sent you home with a Pre-Surgical Pack containing anti-nausea medication, probiotics, and a calming medication given the night before and morning of the procedure. Please make sure your pet receives all of these medications as prescribed for the smoothest surgical experience possible.
If you did not go home with a Pre-Surgical Pack for any reason, we can administer these medications as injections prior to the procedure to take top notch care of your furry friend!
Day of the Procedure
Drop off time for your pet will be between 7:00a-8:00a*. Please give yourself 15-20 minutes for the check in process. It is important to ensure that you have a phone number for someone available at all times of the day while your pet is with us. It is imperative that we are able to reach you or a responsible family member in case we have questions or concerns while your pet is under anesthesia.
Please ensure no food is given the morning of the procedure, but water is ok throughout. If you need to give a small treat or pill pocket to give your pet their normal medications, that is perfectly fine. If you are unsure if your pet should receive their normal medications (i.e. timing of insulin), please check with the surgical team.
All of our patients are weighed and receive a full nose to tail exam prior to anesthesia. Every patient is required to have pre-anesthetic lab work, which can be performed up to three months in advance. This ensures your pet is as healthy as possible for anesthesia.
Just like in human medicine, all anesthetic procedures, even routine, come with some associated risks. We do our absolute best to mitigate all risks and provide gold standard anesthetic protocols for every patient. There is a CPR/DNR section on all procedure forms, and you are welcome to discuss this with your surgical team at time of drop off if you have any additional questions.
Our patients stay with us for a portion of the day to ensure they are well recovered from anesthesia and ready to go home. They are kept snuggled up under warming blankets while on IV fluids, closely monitored by our qualified Certified Veterinary Technician. Once your pet recovers from anesthesia, we offer them a snack and take them out to go potty. After a last exam from our doctors, you will receive a call that they are ready to go home at an appointed time.
*Please note that your check in instructions may differ based on your pet’s best plan for a drop off process. Always defer to the instructions provided by our doctors and staff!
What to Expect When your Pet Goes Home
*Please note that these guidelines are for routine procedures, and you should always defer to your individualized plan. Please contact our office if you have any questions about your pet’s recovery.
While recovering from anesthesia, your pet may be more sedate/quiet for the next 12 to 24 hours. Some pets may whine or vocalize, seek attention, be somewhat disoriented or have a decreased interest in food. They may not defecate for 24 to 48 hours, as they were fasted for their procedure, and it can take awhile for their GI system to get back to normal. These are all normal recovery behaviors that should resolve within a day.
You may notice a mild cough for a couple of days, which is usually due to irritation caused by the endotracheal tube (airway tube through which patient breathes anesthesia gas). This is expected and should go away within three days.
You will be sent home with post-surgical care information. We will call to check on your pet the following day, but please feel free to call us as soon as you have a question.
Specifics for Surgical Procedures (spay/neuter/mass removal/etc.)
Incision Care & Activity Levels
The MOST important part of surgical recovery is keeping your pet calm and quiet during their recovery, and preventing licking or scratching at their incision site for at least 10-14 days post-op. We have an option for a cone (e-collar) or a surgical suit here in clinic, or you can provide either option yourself. If your pet is wearing a cone, it is vital your pet cannot stick their nose beyond the cone. If wearing a surgical recovery suit, it must cover the incision area.
It is important to monitor the incision daily for signs of infection: increased redness, swelling, discharge, and/or pain. The skin suture line is “intradermal”, meaning it’s buried in the skin edges, and will dissolve over time. This makes suture removal unnecessary and decreases chewing at the sutures.
Keeping your pet calm and quiet includes no running, jumping, or forced exercise. If you need a mild sedative to help keep them quiet, we are happy to provide one.
Feeding & Medication
When you arrive home, you are able to offer your pet water and a partial meal, unless otherwise directed. You will often be sent home with pain medication and/or other medications. You will be provided directions on when to begin these medications.
Specifics for Dental Procedures
Thank you for providing your pet with dental care! Regular dental cleanings are a great way to keep your pet healthy.
Feeding
When you arrive home, you are able to offer your pet water and a partial meal, unless otherwise directed. They can return to regular feeding schedule the following day. If your pet did not need any teeth extracted, they will likely not go home with any medication.
Tooth Extraction Care
Extractions may cause some bloody saliva for the next 12 hours or so. If this bleeding does not resolve, or gets worse, please contact us. A doctor may recommend a follow up appointment to ensure the extraction sites have healed. The sutures we use are absorbable, so do not need to be removed.
If your pet has had dental extractions, we will often recommend feeding softened or wet food for 10-14 days. This can be a canned wet food, or water over their normal kibble. We also recommend not giving dental chews, or allowing your pet to chew on toys or hard items, for at least 10-14 days.
You will often be sent home with pain medication and/or other medications for your pet. You will be provided directions on when to begin these medications.