Stuart Animal Hospital
Call us: 772-287-2242
stuartanimalhosp@bellsouth .net
PREPARE YOUR PET FOR SURGERY
Pre-surgical Blood work & Physical
Patients are required to have a full blood profile drawn prior to any procedure that involves anesthesia. This blood work should be drawn 2-3 days before the surgery date. All of our surgical patients are to have a Pre-surgical exam prior to anesthesia to ensure that they are physically healthy for surgery.
Most anesthetics are removed from the body by the liver and kidneys; therefore it is important that these organs are healthy. It is also important that patients have the normal blood cell counts to promote proper tissue healing. If any of these tests are abnormal, we will discuss our findings with you and may decide to 1) postpone the anesthetic procedure until a later date, 2) further diagnostics to pursue a specific diagnosis, or 3) Proceed with anesthesia but alter the drugs and procedures. If tests are normal, it does not guarantee that your pet will not have an anesthetic reaction but it does tell us that your pet is healthy and in a low risk category. Any anesthetic carries a serious risk. The more information we have, the safer that risk will be.
What to do in preparation for your pet's surgery:
Your pet can not eat after midnight the night prior to surgery. Water is fine. Please advise the Doctor or technician if your pet is currently on any medications. Some medications should not be given the morning of surgery. If your pet has displayed any symptoms of not feeling well before the morning of surgery (such as coughing, vomiting, diarrhea etc.) please mention it to the technician as they admit your pet into the hospital.
Crating during recovery is always a good idea. Set up the items you will need when you get your pet home, blankets, bedding, and a quiet area etc., depending on what type of surgical procedure your pet has had and what kind of environment you have at home (other pets that may play too hard or younger children) will determine the length of time your pet should be kept quiet.
What happens after you drop them off?
We ask that all surgeries are dropped off between 8am and 9am. Patients are to be here early so that we can do any necessary blood work, x-rays and to give them a chance to get situated here. If your work schedule does not allow you to drop off in the morning, you may drop off the night prior to surgery. Please allow yourself at least 15 minutes to fill out paperwork at the time of drop off or download and print the History Intake Form, fill it out and bring it with you at the time of drop off.
Surgeries are done between 12pm and 3pm. It is imperative that you leave a contact number's) for us to reach you during the day. If our staff has any questions or have any concerns we need to be able to gather information as soon as possible.
Most surgeries are able to go home the same day. There are times when the pet may not be awake enough to go home. We suggest that they stay overnight to sleep off the anesthetic and to rest comfortably and quietly.
What is being done?
Leaving your pet for the day when surgery is involved can be a stressful situation for you and your pet. Part of the reason we require to have your pet here early on the morning is to help him/her calm down and reduce any amount of stress of being in a new environment. When it is almost time for surgery your pet will be given a pre-anesthetic injection that will further help keep him/her in a restful state. This pre-anesthetic injection also helps with post pain management throughout the evening of surgery. An IV catheter will be placed in older pets, and intravenous fluids will be administered throughout the procedure. We then fully anesthetize the patient. Every breath, heartbeat and your pet's blood pressure is carefully monitored by our technicians. When the procedure is done, the technician will sit with the patient until they are fully awake. The IV catheter will be removed and a bandage will be placed. You may remove the bandage upon returing home. You will then receive a phone call to update you on your pets condition and set up with a time to pick up.
What to expect afterwards:
You will be given specific instructions for how to take care of your pet after the procedure. These instructions will also include what precautions to take, what to look for if there is an infection, and when to return for a recheck. Rechecks are done within a certain amount of time after the procedure. It all depends on what is being done as to when we will need to recheck your pet.
We may dispense post surgical pain management or other type of medication(s) at the time of discharge. Please follow all instructions given. If you have any problems given any medications please contact us.
It is normal for your pet to want to rest through the evening and sometimes the day after surgical procedures. Even lack of appetite is common the morning after. If you have any further questions or concerns please be sure to ask. We highly discourage visitation during your pet's stay as it can cause high amounts of stress when you leave.
*Dental Procedures: Most people cringe at the thought of Fluffy getting teeth pulled. How will the dear thing eat? Trust us, it is not a problem 9 times out of 10! Pets bounce back from having their teeth extracted in nearly HOURS!! We have had clients besides themselves because after 11 teeth were extracted Fluffy ate all her normal dry food without a flinch the next day. If you are super concerned with feeding dry food, you can add a little water and let it soak for about 5 minutes before feeding.
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