Pre-Anesthetic Instructions

Prior to Surgery

Please ensure your dogs are clean, if you regularly bathe your dog please do so in the days prior to anesthesia. Depending on the type of procedure, your pet may not be able to swim or be bathed for several weeks.

Food & Medication

No food or treats after midnight the evening before anesthesia. Fresh water should always be kept available.

Please consult your doctor regarding whether or not to give any medications the day of the procedure. This is especially important for diabetic patients.

Arrival

Please arrive at your scheduled admit time and prepare to spend 15 -20 minutes with the procedure team the day of anesthesia to complete paperwork and make payment. Your admit time will be provided one to two days prior to the procedure day.

All patients must be brought into the clinic on a leash or in a carrier for their safety.

Payment

Payment is due at the time of admit the morning of the procedure. If you have questions about the fees quoted, please call prior to the day of the procedure. Estimates are an approximation of the cost and are subject to adjustment depending on circumstances at the time of the procedure. If paying by credit card, the card must be present when payment is made.

Pre-anesthetic Bloodwork

Any surgical or anesthetic procedure can pose a risk even for a young and seemingly healthy pet. The best way to minimize the risk is for your pet to have a complete pre-surgical evaluation before the procedure. This reduces the risk of complications, and allows for adjustments to safeguard your pet’s health. The amount of preparation will be dictated by your pet’s age, existing health concerns, and by the type of procedure planned.

Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is required on all anesthetic procedures. This bloodwork is important in screening for infection, organ dysfunction, anemia, and coagulation issues. Some anesthetic agents must be metabolized through the kidneys or liver. A pet with compromised hepatic (liver) or renal (kidney) function can have severe issues processing some of the common—and usually very safe—anesthetic agents. Pre-surgical blood work can also be used to make sure there are enough healthy red blood cells necessary to carry oxygen to maintain the function of vital tissues and organs. Still other tests check to see if the numbers and types of white blood cells indicate any type of infection.

The blood’s ability to clot effectively may also be tested, as this is of extreme importance during any surgical procedure.

After reviewing blood test results, your veterinarian will know whether or not your pet will require special anesthetics to safely undergo the procedure or if steps should be taken to correct conditions prior to undergoing the procedure.

Pre-Anesthetic Imaging

Radiographs (X-rays) may be recommended for a variety of reasons including assessing the heart and lungs, evaluating structures close to the surgery site and planning the best way to do the procedure. Imaging is especially important during mass removals to see if a tumor has spread.

Additional tests may be done if your pet has an existing problem that needs to be assessed before surgery, or to investigate some abnormality identified on physical examination or routine testing.

Discharge

Once your pet has recovered from anesthesia you will receive an update call from our team. We will schedule a discharge time during that call. Discharges do occur in the afternoon.

During the discharge you will receive instructions for home care, recovery guidelines and medication administration.

Please prepare a quiet place at home ahead of time for your pet to recover.

Post-Operative Laser Therapy

We offer post-operative laser therapy at an additional cost. The benefits of laser therapy are many and can be found at this link.