A Guide to Preparing Your Pet for Surgery

A Guide to Preparing Your Pet for Surgery

Please read and follow the instructions outlined, to prepare for pet surgery. This information is provided with your pet's safety in mind.

• No food after 9 PM the day before surgery.
• No water the morning of surgery. (It might be a good idea to pick up all water on the morning of surgery.)
• For good hygiene and reduced chances of infection, we recommend that your pet be bathed the day before surgery.
• Please admit your pet to the hospital between 7:00 and 8:30 AM on the day of surgery.
• Please notify us of any medication given 24 hours before surgery
• Your pet must be current on vaccinations at the time of elective surgery. Please bring your certificate or receipt if vaccinations were administered elsewhere. We will be happy to update your pet's vaccinations if needed.

You may call after 3 PM or as directed by the doctor to obtain your pet's condition and tentative release time. If you have any questions, please feel free to call. Our number is: (949) 631-1030 (949) 631-1030

Pet Surgery Preparation

The skin surrounding the surgical area will be clipped and scrubbed with antiseptic. Equipment used will be sterilized and surgery personnel will aseptically scrub and wear sterile gloves, gowns and caps during the operation.

Anesthesia

Local or general anesthesia may be used. Some risk is involved, depending on the age or other existing conditions of your pet. Your pet will receive a pre-anesthetic evaluation. The safest and most appropriate pre-anesthetic and anesthetic agents will be determined at this time. Patients are placed on IV fluids to maintain blood pressure and hydration during and after the procedure. Surgery may occur as scheduled or be delayed depending on the determination of the pre-surgical examination.

Heart/Respiration

Continuous monitoring, of your pet's vial signs, will occur along with anesthetic monitoring, before, during and after any pet surgery.

Postsurgical Pet Care

Both staff and doctor will monitor your pet routinely during the immediate postoperative period, hospital stay and again just prior to discharge. Postsurgical information and necessary details will be discussed with you prior to release of your pet.

Hospital Stay

The length of your pet's hospital stay will depend on the type of surgery and postsurgical care needed. We will provide this information prior to surgery.

Diagnostic Laboratory Testing

The anesthetics available, for anesthetizing our companion pets, are extremely safe. This results in greatly minimized risk, when placing a healthy pet under anesthesia. To further minimize potential risk associated with anesthesia, it is important for us to know the complete health status of your pet, prior to any anesthetic procedure. Laboratory tests can help establish baseline health parameters and diagnose diseases as well as protect and maintain your pet's well-being. To ensure the safety and speedy recovery, of your pet, we require lab work be done and current within two weeks of the scheduled surgery.

There are times during a pet's life when laboratory tests should be run even though your pet is perfectly healthy. For the younger pet, testing can identify pre-existing, clinically silent conditions which may pose a significant health risk to your pet during the anesthetic procedure or in the near future. For the middle-aged or older pet, testing and annual physical examinations are important for sustaining the best quality of life.

If the results of the pre-anesthetic tests are within normal ranges, we can proceed with confidence knowing that we have further minimized the risk. When the results are not within the normal ranges, procedures may be altered or postponed in order to monitor and medically treat the patient. Although performing these tests cannot guarantee the absence of complications, it can significantly reduce risk and provide peace of mind.

In conclusion, whether you are preparing for dog surgery or cat surgery, it is important that all of the above information is read and understood, for the health of your pet and a successful surgical outcome.