Today's modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. At Northview Animal Hospital, we do a thorough physical exam on your pet before administering anesthetics in order 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. 

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 are functioning normally. 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 dysfunctions 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. 

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 unless directed to do otherwise by Dr. Kreeger. Water can be left down for the pet until the morning of surgery. 

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. An Elizabethan Collar will be sent home with your pet to decrease the possiblity of self-trauma to the surgical site. 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 our pets. Pets may not show the same signs 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-inflammatory beginning the day after surgery and continuing for several days after to lessen the risk of discomfort and swelling. We use newer medications which are less likely to cause stomach upset. 

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 prior to surgery. After surgery, pain medication is given on a case by case basis and oral prescription pain medication will be sent home with your pet. 

Remember...providing whatever pain relief is appropriate is a humane and caring thing to do for your pet. 

While your pet is under anesthesia, it is the ideal time to perform other minor procedures, such as nail trimming, ear cleaning, or implanting an identification microchip. If you would like an estimate for these extra servises, please ask us. 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 day 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.