Surgery FAQ

What is the right time to spay or neuter my pet?

Small breed dogs (<45lbs estimated adult weight)

• Female – spay at 7 months
• Male – castration at 9 months

Large and medium-breed dogs (45+lbs) – doctors will discuss the timing of the surgery.

There are some benefits to waiting until a year of age in larger breed dogs:

• Conformational differences ( in dogs refers solely to the externally visible details of a dog’s structure and appearance, as defined in detail by each dog breed‘s written breed standard.)
• Less joint problems
• Golden Retriever FEMALE only – reduced incidence of cancer (except breast)

What are the disadvantages of waiting until a year?

• Increased risk of breast cancer (3%-8%)
• Possibility of unwanted pregnancy
• Male Behavior Problems
• Females having heat cycles

Cats

"Fix at Six" is the rule.

Males can be neutered and females spayed at 6 months of age.

My pet had surgery, what should I watch for with the incision?

The incision should be clean and dry with no discharge. There will be a slight amount of swelling, but not so much that the skin has swollen around the sutures. The area around the sutures should be pink and possibly a bit bruised, but not beet red. Please call or make an appointment to come in if you still have concerns or questions about the incision.

Does my pet need pain control (analgesics) when he has surgery?

We do recommend some kind of pain medication with most surgeries. Studies have shown that pets given pain medication post operatively heal faster, eat sooner, have fewer infections, and are much less stressed than pets that don’t receive pain medication. Frequently they only need the pain medication given while here in the hospital. Sometimes they need medication at home too. If you are concerned that your pet may be in pain, the doctor will make a recommendation for pain control for your pet.

Why does the hospital recommend blood testing before procedures requiring anesthesia?

Just as your doctor would have you get a blood test before undergoing anesthesia, we do the same for pets. This simple blood test allows us to evaluate your pet’s basic physiologic condition and will let us know if we need to take extra precautions with your pet. If test results are within normal ranges, we can proceed with confidence, knowing anesthetic risk is minimized. But if results are not within normal ranges, we can alter the anesthetic procedure, or take precautions to reduce the risk of potential complications. It may indicated that we should avoid a procedure altogether until a discovered problem can be corrected.

Why does my pet need an IV Catheter (during anesthesia)?

An intravenous catheter is a device that allows for the rapid delivery of fluids and medications directly into the bloodstream. Although anesthetic emergencies are rare, when they occur an open line into the bloodstream can save precious minutes in the delivery of life-saving drugs. The catheter also allows for the delivery of fluids during the surgical procedure.

Why does my pet need IV Fluids?

The administration of intravenous fluids into the bloodstream helps maintain blood pressure and preserves health and function of vital organs such as the kidney and liver. It also keeps the patient hydrated when they haven’t been drinking for a while.

What is monitoring for?

We will monitor your pet’s heart rate, respiratory rate, and the level of oxygen in your pet’s blood during anesthesia to watch for any early warning signs of problems, so we can correct them before it becomes a problem.

How long should I fast my pet before surgery?

We recommend that your pet does not eat after midnight the night before they are admitted for surgery, dentistry, or any other anesthetic procedure. They may have access to water until they are admitted to the hospital.

Should I give my pet its regular medication on the morning of surgery?

Diabetics should be given ½ of their normal insulin dose on the morning of surgery. If your pet is taking antibiotics, pain medications or other daily drugs, go ahead and give them, and bring the medications with them so we can administer it while they are here in the hospital. Do not give any drugs that can prolong bleeding such as aspirin.