Anesthetic Procedure

We do everything in our power to ensure our patients are safe under anesthesia.

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.

Each patient has a dedicated technician closely monitoring their vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, and level of oxygen in the blood, while the doctor performs the procedure, ensuring instant action if any anomalies arise.

Pre-anesthetic 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. 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. Do not give your buddy any food after 10:00 PM the night before anesthesia and no water after 6:00 AM the morning of their procedure.

Pets need to be dropped off at 8:00 AM the day of surgery. You will be asked to sign some paperwork while we make your buddy comfortable in their own kennel in the treatment area. This includes an anesthesia approval form and a customized care plan.

If your pet is having a dental cleaning, we may recommend extracting teeth that have significant dental disease. You'll need decide whether to authorize extractions as the doctor deems necessary, or if you prefer to be reached by phone to give authorization during the procedure.

While your pet is under anesthesia, it is also the ideal time to perform other minor procedures, such as anal gland expression, ear cleaning, or implanting a microchip. If you would like an estimate for these extra services, please call ahead of time.

We will call or text to update you when your buddy is waking up and at that point we'll also give you a pick-up time. This is generally in the mid to late afternoon but will depend on the timing of your buddy's surgery and recovery.

Your pet will be going home with a compression bandage on their front leg. This is where the IV was placed. You'll need to remove the bandage an hour after returning home or swelling and pain can occur.

We recommend a half portion of food and water the evening after surgery. If your buddy had dental extractions please give them soft food, either canned food or moistened kibble, for at least a week.

Chances are good you'll be going home with some medications for your pet. You can begin any medication the evening you bring your buddy home, unless directed otherwise.

For some surgeries, such as spays or dental extractions, 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 sutures or staples.

With either type of suture, you will need to keep an eye on the incision. It's normal to see some faint bleeding from new incisions over the first 24 hours. It's important to let us know if you see any heavy bleeding, discharge, redness, or swelling, particularly after the initial recovery period.

We will likely recommend an e-collar (cone) to go home to prevent your buddy from chewing or licking at the surgery site. If there are sutures or staples, these will usually be removed 14 days after surgery at a technician appointment. You will also need to limit your pet's activity level for a time and no baths are allowed for the first 14 days after surgery.

Pain management is an essential component of compassionate care in veterinary medicine. We don't want any of our patients to ever be in pain, however after surgery or dental extractions some discomfort in unavoidable. We strive to anticipate their pain and send home appropriate pain control medications to ease their port-operative discomfort.

We rely on you to partner with us to monitor your pet's pain. Pets may not show the same symptoms of pain as people; they may whine or whimper, have trouble getting comfortable, or hide. If you see any of these signs after giving your pet their prescibed medications, please call us.

Regularly brushing your pet’s teeth is the single most effective thing you can do to keep their teeth healthy between dental cleanings! Daily brushing is best, but even brushing several times a week can be effective. We recommend starting home dental care about two weeks after your pet's dentistry to give the gums time to heal. For more information on home dental care, visit the AVMA (American Veterinary Medcial Association.)