SURGERY 101

Microchipping can help reunite owners with lost or injured dogs. Microchips are permanent and can last for the life of your pet. Unlike collars and ID tags, microchips can’t break or become worn and illegible.

Here are some other benefits of microchipping:

Reunification
Microchips can help reunite pets with their owners, even across state lines.

Backup option
Microchips are an essential backup option for pet identification but should never be the main one.

Durable
Microchips are designed to last for 25 years, well over the average life expectancy for cats and dogs.

No sharing
Microchips do not share personal information with anyone who finds your pet.

To get a microchip, a veterinary professional will inject it slightly below your pet’s skin. The procedure does not require the use of anesthesia.

The ideal age to microchip your pet will depend on its size and breed, but generally, you can have your dog microchipped eight weeks after birth.

Why not get a paw print done while your pet is fast asleep getting their proceure performed?  It is common for folks to get a paw print done at the end of a pet’s life but why not at the beginning?  It is a good rememberance of when your pet was younger and vibrant.

Laser therapy can help speed up healing after surgery in dogs and cats. It’s a non-invasive treatment that uses a special light to penetrate a dog’s skin and tissue. The light affects the tissue at a cellular level, causing a biochemical response in the cells called photobiomodulation (PBM).
Laser therapy helps tissue repair by:

• Causing the release of endorphins
• Increasing blood flow to bring in oxygen and cells involved in the healing process
• Relaxing muscles
• Decreasing inflammation
• Accelerating the body’s natural healing process

Laser therapy can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including:

• Inflammation associated with surgery
• Pain at the incision site after spaying or neutering
• Dental procedures involving extractions

Here are some tips for a safe and comfortable recovery after laser therapy:

• Reduce your pet’s activity level for about two weeks following surgery
• Provide your pet with a quiet place to recover indoors and away from other animals
• Prevent your pet from licking the incision site

My pet needs a surgical procedure and she looks perfectly healthy to me.  Why are you recommending pre-anesthetic blood work for her?

Not all abnormalities that influence a patient’s response to anesthesia are outwardly visible and pets are also great at hiding symptoms; therefore, bloodwork is used to help identify and correct some problems before they become a potentially life threatening issue under anesthesia.  For example:

• It helps us to determine if the pet’s liver and kidneys can metabolize or “handle” the anesthetic or whether we need to change the anesthetic protocol for this pet.
• It tells us if the pet has enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to the brain during anesthesia.
• It tells us if the pet has enough protein for the healing process.
• It tells us if there are any blood sugar, electrolyte or hormonal imbalances that will need corrected before or during anesthesia.
• It helps us to know if there are any infectious or inflammatory conditions going on that could compromise recovery/healing.
• It gives us baseline information on that pet, for future comparisons.

In short, it helps to make your pet’s procedure as safe as possible.

Pre-anesthetic blood work  cannot predict allergic reactions to anesthesia, nor can it identify underlying heart disease.

We recommend completing pre-anesthetic blood work a week or so in advance of the pet’s procedure because:

• It is less expensive than doing it the day of the procedure
• You get more tests for less money because it can be sent to the outside lab
• Any issues can be identified and dealt with before procedure/surgery day.

Pre-anesthetic blood work is recommended prior to all surgical procedures and it is required for all pets over 6 years of age.

My pet needs a surgical procedure and she looks perfectly healthy to me.  Why are you recommending pre-anesthetic blood work for her?

Not all abnormalities that influence a patient’s response to anesthesia are outwardly visible and pets are also great at hiding symptoms; therefore, bloodwork is used to help identify and correct some problems before they become a potentially life threatening issue under anesthesia.  For example:

• It helps us to determine if the pet’s liver and kidneys can metabolize or “handle” the anesthetic or whether we need to change the anesthetic protocol for this pet.
• It tells us if the pet has enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to the brain during anesthesia.
• It tells us if the pet has enough protein for the healing process.
• It tells us if there are any blood sugar, electrolyte or hormonal imbalances that will need corrected before or during anesthesia.
• It helps us to know if there are any infectious or inflammatory conditions going on that could compromise recovery/healing.
• It gives us baseline information on that pet, for future comparisons.

In short, it helps to make your pet’s procedure as safe as possible.

Pre-anesthetic blood work  cannot predict allergic reactions to anesthesia, nor can it identify underlying heart disease.

We recommend completing pre-anesthetic blood work a week or so in advance of the pet’s procedure because:

• It is less expensive than doing it the day of the procedure
• You get more tests for less money because it can be sent to the outside lab
• Any issues can be identified and dealt with before procedure/surgery day.

Pre-anesthetic blood work is recommended prior to all surgical procedures and it is required for all pets over 6 years of age.

During recovery from a surgical or dental procedure, it is important for your pet to rest comfortably.  It is vitally important that your pet receive pain medication and/or calming medication as perscribed by the surgeon.  These medication are not optional and you, the owner, must agree to give your pet these medication as directed.  We are forever looking out for the best interests of your pet as we know you would want us to.