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What You Need to Know Before Your
Pet's Upcoming Surgery
Many people have questions
about various aspects of their
pet's surgery, and we hope this
information will help. It also
explains the decisions you will
need to make before your pet's
upcoming surgery.
Is the anesthetic
safe?
Today's modern anesthetic
monitors have made surgery much
safer than in the past. Here at
County Veterinary Hospital, we
do a thorough physical exam on
your pet before administering
anesthetics, to ensure that a
fever or other illness won't be
a problem. We also adjust the
amount and type of anesthetic
used depending on the health of
your pet. The handout on
anesthesia explains this in
greater detail.
Preanesthetic blood testing
is important in reducing the
risk of anesthesia. Every pet
needs blood testing before
surgery to ensure that the liver
and kidneys can handle the
anesthetic. Even apparently
healthy animals can have serious
organ system problems that
cannot be detected without blood
testing. If there is a problem,
it is much better to find it
before it causes anesthetic or
surgical complications. Animals
that have minor dysfunction will
handle the anesthetic better if
they receive IV fluids during
surgery. If serious problems
are detected, surgery can be
postponed until the problem is
corrected.
We offer three levels of
in-house blood testing before
surgery, which we will go over
with you when you bring your pet
in. Our doctors prefer the more
comprehensive screen, because it
gives them the most information
to ensure the safety of your
pet. For geriatric or ill pets,
additional blood tests,
electrocardiograms, or x-rays
may be required before surgery
as well.
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, do require skin
stitches. With either type of
suture, you will need to keep an
eye on the incision for swelling
or discharge. Most dogs and
cats do not lick excessively or
chew at the incision, but this
is an occasional problem you
will also need to watch for. If
there are skin sutures, these
will usually be removed 10 to 14
days after surgery. You will
also need to limit your pet's
activity level for a time and no
baths are allowed for the first
10 days after surgery.
Will my pet be in
pain?
Anything that causes pain in
people can be expected to cause
pain in animals. Pets may not
show the same symptoms of pain
as people do; they usually don't
whine or cry, but you can be
sure they feel it. Pain
medications needed will depend
on the surgery performed. Major
procedures require more pain
relief than things like minor
lacerations.For dogs, we may recommend an
oral anti-inflamatory the day
after surgery and several days
after to lessen the risk of
discomfort and swelling. We use
newer medications, which are
less likely to cause stomach
upset and can be given even the
morning of surgery. The cost of
the medication ranges from $10
to $15, depending on the size of
your dog.
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. We administer a pain
injection 10 minutes prior to
surgery. After surgery, pain
medication is given on a case by
case basis. Any animal that
appears painful will receive
additional pain medication.
We use narcotic patches for
some surgeries in dogs as well.
The cost will depend on the size
of the dog. Injectable pain
medications may also be used
after surgery on both dogs and
cats. Providing whatever pain
relief is appropriate is a
humane and caring thing to do
for your pet.
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, or implanting an
identification microchip. If
you would like an estimate for
these extra services, please
call ahead of time. This is
especially important if the
person dropping the pet off for
surgery is not the primary
decision maker for the pet's
care.When you bring your pet in
for surgery, we will need to 5
to 10 minutes of time to fill
out paperwork and make decisions
on the blood testing and 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.
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.
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