Park Cities Animal Hospital 
"Proudly serving the people and pets of Park Cities since 1939!"

Surgical FAQs
What You Need to Know Before Your Pet's 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 surgery.



Is the anesthetic safe?
Today's modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past.  Here at Park Cities Animal Hospital, we perform 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.  The handout on anesthesia explains this in greater detail.

Why is a blood test necessary before my pet's surgery?
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 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.  Animals that have minor dysfunction 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.

How do I prepare my pet for surgery?
It is important that your pet's surgery is perform 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 available to your pet until the morning of surgery.

Will my pet need sutures?
For many surgeries sutures are necessary. Park Cities Animal Hospital Doctors often use absorbable sutures underneath the skin.  These will eventually 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 a condition you will need to watch for.  If there are skin sutures, these are usually 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.

After surgery will my pet need pain medicine?
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 usually don't whine or cry, but you can be sure they feel it.  Pain medication perscriptions depend on the surgery performed.  Major procedures require more pain relief than things like minor lacerations.

After surgery will my pet need an anti-inflamatory?
For dogs, we may recommend an oral anti-inflamatory the day after surgery and several days after to lessen the risk of discomfort and swelling.  We use newer medications, which are less likely to cause stomach upset and can be given even the morning of surgery.  The cost of the medication depends upon the size of your dog.

Do cats and dogs tolerate pain after surgery differently?
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 an injectible analgesic to cats 10 minutes prior to surgery.  After surgery, pain medication is given on a case by case basis.  Any animal that appears to be in pain will receive additional pain medication. We use narcotic patches for some surgeries in dogs as well as cats.  The cost depends on the size of the pet.  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 will 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.

What else should I know?
When you bring your pet in for surgery, we will need 5 to 10 minutes of your 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 on spending about 10 minutes to go over your pet's home care needs.

Also....

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.