What You Need to Know Before Your Pet's Surgery

Many people have questions about various aspects of their pet's surgery.  We hope this information will be helpful in explaining the decisions you will need to make and in answering any questions you might have.

Is anesthetia safe?

Whether human or animal, young or old, there is always a risk with anesthesia.  However, there are many things we can do to minimize those risks and at Ponemah Veterinary Hospital, our team works very hard to create as safe a procedure for your pet as possible.
 
We do a thorough physical exam on your pet before administering anesthetics, to ensure that a fever or other unknown problem is not present.  We design anesthetic protocols to be specific for each patient based on his/her health status, age, and procedure being done.  We do not believe in cookbook protocols as every patient is different.

Preanesthetic blood testing is performed on every patient and is important in reducing the risk of anesthesia.  Every pet needs blood testing to ensure that the liver and kidneys can handle the anesthetic.  Even young and apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system problems that cannot be detected without blood testing.  If there is a problem, it may inhibit your pets' ability to metabolize certain drugs and we can either alter the protocols or delay the procedure depending upon the case.  It is much better to find a problem before it causes anesthetic or surgical complications.

For geriatric or ill pets, additional blood tests, electrocardiograms, x-rays, or blood pressure testing may be recommended before surgery as well.

During surgery and dentistry, all patients receive IV fluids which help to maintain both blood pressure and blood flow through the kidneys.  A drop in either of those parameters can be detrimental to the patient.

Every patient is monitored during anesthesia.  Today's modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past.  Our multiparameter monitor enables us to track ECG, blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, respirations, and pulse oximetry (the % of blood that has oxygen).  These monitors when paired with trained technicians, help to ensure a safe procedure for your pet.

Is there anything I need to do at home before the surgery?

It is important that surgery be done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of vomiting during and after anesthesia.  You will need to withhold food for at least 8 to 10 hours before surgery.  Water can be left down for the pet until the morning of surgery.

Will my pet have stitches?

For many surgeries, we use absorbable sutures underneath the skin.  These will dissolve on their own, and do not need to be removed later.  Some surgeries, especially tumor removals and orthopedics, do require skin stitches or staples.  These will need to be removed 10 to 14 days after surgery.  For your convenience, this appointment may be scheduled on the day of surgery.

What about postoperative care?

With any incision, you will need to watch it closely for swelling or discharge.  Most dogs and cats do not lick excessively or chew at their incisions but if they do, they will need to wear an e-collar.  It is important to watch for this and put the collar on before any damage is done to the site.

You will need to limit your pet's activity level for a week or two and no baths are allowed for the first 10 days after surgery.  Some surgeries such as orthopedics have much more specific postoperative requirements.  In these cases, we will review your care instructions with you during the release appointment.

Will my pet be in pain?

Anything that causes pain in people can be expected to cause pain in animals.  Even though pets may not show the same symptoms of pain as people do such as whining or crying, you can be sure they still feel it.  Pain medication needs will vary depending on the surgery performed.  Major procedures require more pain relief than minor procedures.  All pets will receive one or more pain control injections before the procedure and most will be sent home with a prescription.

The concept that pain control is not good in pets because it will cause them to be more active is inaccurate, outdated, and detrimental.  Multiple studies have shown that pets receiving adequate pain control rest better and longer and have more rapid recoveries.

For dogs, we may recommend an oral anti-inflamatory for several days after surgery to lessen the risk of discomfort and swelling.  We use newer medications, which are less likely to cause stomach upset and other complications.  However, not all medications are safe for all pets so it is important not to give your pet any of your medications without asking first.

Because cats do not tolerate standard pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, we are limited in what we can give them.  Recent advances in pain medications have allowed for better pain control in cats than ever before.   Cats are often sent home with Buprenex which is a narcotic to be given "under the tongue" or "in the cheek".  What this means is that the drug is absorbed from the tissues anywhere in the mouth but is not absorbed well if it goes down the throat like other medications.

We use narcotic fentanyl patches for some surgeries as well.  This provides good pain control which is absorbed through the skin.  It is important to read the fentanyl patch handout (see link below) and to keep the patch away from other pets or small children that may bite into it. 

What other decisions do I need to make?

While your pet is under anesthesia, it is the ideal time to perform other minor procedures, such as dentistry, ear cleaning, laser wart removal, or implanting an identification microchip.  If you would like an estimate for these extra services, please let us know.  Please make these arrangements ahead of time if the person dropping the pet off for surgery is not the primary decision maker for the pet's care.

How long will drop-off and pick up-take?

When you bring your pet in for surgery, we will need about 5 to 10 minutes to fill out paperwork and make decisions about other options available.  When you pick up your pet after surgery you can also plan to spend about 10 minutes to go over your pet's home care needs.  While we do our best to be timely and efficient, there may be occasions when a client needs to wait a few minutes while we speak with another client.  Be assured we do our best to minimize wait times.

We will call you the night before your scheduled surgery appointment, to confirm the time you will be dropping your pet off and to answer any questions you might have.  In the meantime, please don't hesitate to call us with any questions about your pet's health or surgery.