"Caring for Pets and Their People"
Concord Chapel Animal Hospital is well-equipped to perform most minor and major surgical procedures, from spays and neuters to more complicated emergency and soft-tissue surgeries. 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.
Surgery + Dental FAQ
Is Anesthesia Safe?
Today's modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. Here at Concord Chapel Animal Hospital, 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. The handout on anesthesia explains this in greater detail.
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.
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. 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 usually don't whine or cry, but you can be sure they feel it. Pain medications needed will depend on the surgery performed.
Major procedures require more pain relief than things like minor lacerations.
We may recommend an oral anti-inflammatory the day after surgery and several days afterwards 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. We may also administer a pain injection prior to the start of the surgery.
After surgery, pain medication is given on a case-by-case basis. Any animal that appears painful will receive additional pain medication.
Your pet may be required to wear an e-collar after surgery. We have plastic "cones" available at our hospital and your pet will be sent home with a plastic e-collar if you do not provide your own e-collar. If you prefer an inflatable e-collar, here are some that we recommend! If you choose to go this route, make sure you bring your purchased e-collar with you the morning of surgery.
Just be sure to measure your pet according to the directions for each e-collar and pick the appropriate size for your pet. Please call us if you have questions. If the e-collar you provide does not fit appropriately, we will send home a plastic e-collar to use.
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 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 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 to spend about 10 minutes going 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.