Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT SURGERY

My Pet Needs Surgery! What should I know?

In order to perform most types of surgery, your pet must be placed under general anesthesia. Anesthesia does have inherent risks whether it's done for humans or animals. Just like in human hospitals pre-anesthetic blood work decreases the risks.

Pre-anesthetic blood work is quick, easy, and safe. We take a small blood sample and are able to check kidney and liver functions as well as for anemia, infection, or dehydration. Checking these functions is a very important part of our pre-anesthetic planning protocol.

All medications, including anesthetics are removed from the body by the liver and/or kidneys. If there is no problem seen on the blood work, there are usually no complications and the pet recovers fine. The only way to know if function is good is to do the pre-anesthetic blood work.

What should I do for my pet before surgery day?

1. No food should be offered to your pet after 6 P.M. the night before surgery, and no water after midnight that same night.

2. You can either bring your pet to us the evening before surgery or you can drop your pet off the morning of surgery between 8 and 8:30 A.M. There is no extra charge to board your pet here the night before surgery.

3. Make sure you inform us of any medications you have given your pet within the last 24 hours. That includes aspirin, pepto, and any other household meds you've given.

4. Please feel free to call us after 12 Noon to inquire about how your pet is doing after surgery. Of course, if there are any problems while your pet is here, we will contact you immediately. Please leave a phone number where you can be reached at any time if we have questions or need to reach you for any other reason.

Isn't my pet too young to have any kidney or liver problems?

Not true, although it is rare, young animals can have metabolic problems. Sometimes those things are inherited and not seen until it is too late. Young animals are very susceptible to infections and could show up as an increase in their white blood cell count.

My pet looks and feels fine to me. Isn't that enough?

Animals are very good at hiding signs of disease or injury until it is really bad. In kidney disease, 75% of the kidneys functions can be gone before the animal will show any signs.

Isn't the anesthesia you use safe?

Yes, we use Isoflurane gas and other safe injectable medications, but all of them are filtered out of the bloodstream through the kidneys and liver. If their organs are not functioning properly, more damage can be done and cause other problems.

How can I improve the outcome of my pet's surgery?

Of course nothing is 100% but blood work is the best way to help your pet. Choosing to do the pre-anesthetic blood work is an easy way to improve the chances that nothing will go wrong during or after surgery.

Why does my pet need blood work before a routine surgery?

Even if your pet looks healthy, there could be underlying problems that could increase their risk of having trouble during anesthesia. By taking a blood sample, we are able to check kidney and liver functions, as well as red and white blood cell counts. If there are any problems seen on the blood work, the surgery will be postponed and steps will be taken to correct them. Even young animals can have metabolic problems that can only be detected with blood work.