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 drugs, as well as blood testing and sophisticated monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past.  At Springfield Animal Hospital, we perform a thorough physical exam on your pet before the administration of any medication or anesthetic.  Frequently we will run a pre-anesthetic blood profile to evaluate your pet's health. The amount and type of anesthetic used will be dependent on many factors, including the physical exam findings, the blood test results, the age and health of your pet and the type of procedure to be done.  The handout on anesthesia explains this in greater detail.

Preanesthetic blood testing is an important  component in reducing the risk of anesthesia.  Every pet owner should strongly consider blood testing before surgery to ensure that the liver and kidneys are healthy and functioning normally.  Even apparently healthy animals can have serious internal 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.  Most animals will handle the anesthetic better if they receive IV fluids before and during the surgery.  If serious problems are detected, surgery can be postponed until the problem is corrected.

We offer three levels of pre - anesthetic blood testing. We can go over our recommendations with you when you bring your pet in.  Our doctors often prefer the more comprehensive blood screens because it gives them the most information to help ensure the safety of your pet.  For geriatric or ill pets, additional blood tests, electrocardiograms, or x-rays may be required before the surgical procedure.

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 may or may not whine or cry, but you can be sure they feel pain.  Pain medications needed will depend on the surgery performed.  Major procedures require more pain relief than minor lacerations.

For many patients we may recommend an oral anti-inflammatory medication the day of the surgery and for several days afterwards to lessen the risk of discomfort and swelling. The use of newer medications, which are less likely to cause stomach upset,  can even be given the day of  surgery. Please contact the hospital for specific recommendations. The cost of the medication ranges from $10 to $15, depending on the size of your pet.

Because cats (and dogs) do not tolerate the standard human pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, we are limited in what we can give them.  Recent advances in the pharmacology of pain medications have allowed for better pain control in cats than ever before.  Frequently we will  administer a pain control medication 10-20 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 control medication.

We can also use narcotic patches for some surgeries in dogs.  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.