How To Prepare Your Pet For Anesthesia:

To prepare your cat or dog for anesthesia, please do not offer any food or treats after midnight prior to the procedure (no breakfast!). Access to water is okay up until the time you head our way in the morning.

When To Drop-off:

Please plan to drop off your pet between 7:00 and 7:30 am. When you arrive, we will review and finalize the treatment plan for the day. This process typically takes 15-30 minutes.

What Happens When You Get Here:

• Once your pet is checked in, we will get your pet ready for the surgical procedure by running blood work (if not already done), placing an IV line in one of the front legs, and giving pain medication for comfort.
• The doctor will perform a medical exam prior to the surgical procedure.
• We begin by delivering anesthesia, then performing the procedures we have discussed. Our doctors and technician team are with your pet every step of the way.
• If we find any issues that need additional treatment, the doctor will call you to discuss our recommendations to come up with a plan. In case we cannot reach you, our drop-off forms include an area for you to note how you would like us to proceed.
• Once the surgical procedure is completed and your pet has woken up from anesthesia, we will call you to tell you all the details and to set a pickup time.

What To Expect When Picking Up Your Pet:

At pickup, we will discuss the procedure and send you home with more detail about how to care for your pet. The pickup process typically takes 15-30 minutes. Below are our general recommendations:

• Your pet will be groggy the evening after surgery and might whine or vocalize more than usual. This should pass by the next morning.
• The evening after surgery, you can offer half of your pet’s regular amount of food. Offer small amounts of water every 1-2 hours until bedtime. You can resume a normal feeding schedule the next day.
• Monitor all skin incisions for worsening redness, enlarging bruising, bleeding, or creamy discharge. If noted, an immediate progress exam with a veterinarian is warranted.
• If applicable, all bandages must be kept clean and dry. Monitor for swelling of exposed toes, or the area above the bandage. If the bandage becomes wet, dirty, smells bad, or the pet starts to act increasingly uncomfortable or chews at the bandage, an immediate phone call and progress exam with a veterinarian is warranted.
• We generally recommend a special collar (cone) or a medical protective suit to prevent licking or chewing. If we send one of these home with your pet, please make sure to use it as instructed to help decrease complications.

When Will We Want To See You And Your Pet Back?

We recommend a progress exam after your pet’s surgical procedure. We will let you know when that progress exam is needed when you pick up your pet. During that visit, we will check that your pet is healing properly and discuss any concerns that you may have.