Surgery is performed in the clinic surgical suite with anesthesia protocols and sterility within veterinary standards of care guidelines strictly followed. Anesthesia is performed with industry standard drugs and equipment. Your pet's blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and rhythm, respiratory rate, oxygenation and CO2 levels are closely monitored using state-of-the-art equipment. Support of all surgical patients includes a HotDog Patient Warming System. Postoperatively, all surgical patients are closely and continuously monitored until extubation and full recovery from anesthesia.
Will my pet need lab work prior to having surgery?
Yes. We require our patients to have lab work before surgery primarily to understand how safe surgery is or isn't going to be for some of those patients and understand their overall metabolic stability going into the procedure.
What will my veterinarian be looking for in the pre-surgery lab work?
In the pre-surgery lab work, there are a few different indicators that we're looking at to understand how the anesthesia is going to be metabolized or digested, so there are a few organ functionalities that we look at. We also check their platelet count, which is the glue of the blood, to ensure they're clotting properly and that there aren't any other significant abnormalities that would give us concern about their overall health. The results of these checks will tell us whether their anesthetic risk is much higher or if we need to change our plans for their procedure.
Who will be monitoring my dog while under anesthesia?
We have a team of technicians, and they're the ones who are monitoring our anesthetic procedures.
How long will my dog need to recover after having surgery?
It's variable as to what your dog will have done and how long it will take them to recover. Most soft tissue surgeries, spays, neuters, and wound repairs take about 10 days for a complete healing period. Some of the other oral surgeries, depending on the level of extraction, can be a week to two weeks. And then some of the more complicated procedures, such as drastic wound repairs and things like that, can require about a two-week recovery.
How can I help my dog recover at home after surgery?
One of the most critical things is paying attention to discharge instructions from your doctor, which you'll receive after their procedure. Those instructions include information about medications that they may go home with and the diet they need, and their activity level. Activity restriction can be vital to some of the healing processes, as well as whether or not they will need an e-collar or a cone, and how long they're going to need to maintain that as well as any follow-up that would be indicated afterward for their procedure.
What can I do at home to get my pet ready for surgery?
So some of the best things that you can do at home are to have had your pre-surgical exam with your veterinarian so that you know what to anticipate coming into the surgery. Also, you should have fasted your pet, not giving them food or water after midnight prior to the procedure. Those are some of the most important things. And hopefully, you have them willing to get in the car the morning of their procedure.
How soon can my pet come home after surgery?
Canine spays and neuters and feline spays stay overnight after their procedures. Feline neuters and dentals typically go home the same day of their procedures. Any other surgical patients go home on a case by case basis as determined by the veterinarian. Their go-home time will be discussed with you when the staff gives you a call about their procedure once they're in recovery.
What do I need to know about taking care of my pet after surgery?
So all of our canine patients will go home with some written discharge instructions, and your veterinarian, or one of their assistants, will go over those instructions beforehand. Many of our post-op cases go home with some pain medications, antibiotics, and so all of the instructions will be given out with those. Most of these pets need some rest or activity restriction for a while, and may need a cone or an E-collar to wear during their recovery.
When can my dog return to normal feeding and activity after surgery?
There is some variability with that, depending on the procedure that they've had. Most pets can resume eating the night of their procedure. Sometimes we will alter the volume or the type of food they're eating, and activity level is a bit variable. Many of our dental procedure patients can return to their normal activity level the following day, versus some of our soft tissue surgeries that will require waiting about a week to 10 days before we let them do much physical activity.
Will my pet need post-surgery pain medication?
Depending on the procedure, the post-surgery pain medication will be dispensed. Many of our surgical procedures go home with pain medication. Pets that have had spays, neuters, wound repairs, and mass removals will frequently go home with pain medication. With dental cleanings, they don't always need them afterward. And those will be discussed with you both before and after the procedure.
Please don't hesitate to contact us at 940-872-8900 or email us at mail@chisholmtrailpet.com and we will be happy to answer any additional questions you may have.