Your pet has been scheduled for a surgery or another procedure that requires general anesthesia. In order to make sure this procedure is as safe and stress-free for you and your pet as possible, please observe the following precautions:
Withhold food from your pet after 8:00 p.m. the night before the procedure, you may continue to allow access to water until midnight.
Drop off your pet at the appropriate location between 8:00 – 8:15 a.m. If you are unable to do so, arrangements can be made to drop off your pet the afternoon before their procedure.
Let our staff know if your pet has experienced any of the following symptoms in the days immediately prior to their procedure: vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite or not eating, changes in water consumption, changes in amount or frequency of urination. Let us know if your pet had an unexpectedly long recovery time after a previous anesthetic procedure.
We encourage you to elect the option for pre-anesthetic bloodwork. This includes chemistry and CBC blood tests. The chemistry test is used to measure the levels of various substances present in the blood. An abnormal level may indicate disorders of the liver, kidneys or blood. The CBC provides measurements of red and white blood cells and platelets. Knowledge of these conditions allows us to make anesthesia and/or surgery as safe as possible. Click on the Wellness Testing photo to the right of this text for additional information.
It is often convenient to have additional blood testing done at this time, including heartworm testing for dogs and Leukemia Virus/Feline Immunodeficiency Virus for cats. In addition to heartworms, your dog is tested for Lyme and two other tick-borne diseases with the same test. Contact our office if you need information on the additional costs for these blood tests.
To help make your drop off go more smoothly, consider printing and completing our authorization form and bringing it with you on the day of your visit. Click on the link below.
Our veterinarians will determine the best anesthetic and pain management protocol for your pet. Your pet may be sent home with pain medication, antibiotics or an Elizabethan collar. If your pet has evidence of fleas or flea dirt during their visit, they will be treated immediately to prevent fleas from spreading to other pets at our facility. Click here for tips on taking care of your pet after it goes home.