Austin Animal Hospital has fully equipped surgery and anesthetic facilities. Highly trained and competent staff members are always on hand to monitor your pet’s health before, during and after surgery and anesthesia. Modern veterinary surgery is safe and every precaution is taken during your pet’s hospitalization. You can be certain your pet will have the highest quality care and treatment while staying in our hospital. What you should know before your pet has an operation.
Prior to surgery and anesthetic procedures, your pet should be of good health to minimize risk. In any pet 7 years of age or older, a urinalysis and blood panel are highly recommended. This will assist in ruling out any underlying medical conditions that may not yet be displaying obvious symptoms, as well as providing a health baseline for your pet. Valuable information can be obtained from a urinalysis and blood panel including kidney function, liver function, heart and other internal organ function, immune system and "silent" medical problems. Occasionally X-rays may be recommended for your pet. With the information received from a urinalysis and blood panel, the anesthesia can be tailored to your pet’s individual needs. Even young healthy pets can benefit from having a urinalysis and blood panel done. Please call our office to schedule a pre-surgical examination and testing. Intravenous Fluids (IV Fluids)
Another important procedure that is complementary to surgery and anesthesia is the administration of IV fluids. IV fluids require the placing of a catheter into a vein, by which special sterile fluids containing electrolytes can be infused directly into the blood stream. This benefits your pet by maintaining blood pressure, preventing dehydration and by flushing the kidneys and other internal organs. This procedure may be compulsory for older pets, pets undergoing a lengthy surgery/anesthesia, extremely small pets (toy breeds of dogs) or pets with other medical complications. However, every pet even healthy ones will benefit from receiving IV fluids. Please inform our staff if you would like IV fluids for your pet. At home procedures prior to surgery
If your pet is scheduled for surgery, there are a few simple procedures you can carry out at home to minimize problems and prevent unnecessary risks to your pet.
1. Good nutrition is very important to reduce surgical stress and is an aid to prompt recovery.
2. Surgical stress may decrease your pet’s resistance to infectious diseases; therefore all vaccinations must be current at the time of surgery.
3. Parasites constitute considerable stress to your pet’s health and their presence combined with surgery may cause serious problems. If your pet has not been checked recently, please discuss this with the veterinarian.
4. If your pet is taking medication or has an existing health problem, please inform the veterinarian prior to surgery.
5. We like to have your pet at the hospital between 8.00 – 8.30 am when and operation is required.
6. To ensure the safety of your pet and yourself, please keep your pet on a leash, in a carrying case or under control at all times. SPECIFIC PRECAUTIONS
1. Anesthetics should be administered on an empty stomach. Therefore, your pet should not have any solid food after 8.00 pm the night prior to surgery and no water or fluids after 12.00 am the night prior to surgery.
2. If possible, please exercise your pet before bringing him or her to the hospital, making sure both urination and bowel movement occurs. Your co-operation with the above will greatly help to prevent unnecessary risk to your pet. What happens to my pet while he/she is hospitalized for a surgery/anesthetic procedure?
After your pet has been dropped off for surgery/anesthesia, your pet will receive a thorough pre-surgical physical examination. The veterinarian will check and assess your pet’s vital signs including weight, temperature, heart rate, pulse, respiration, colour of mucous membranes, hydration as well as check for parasites. These are all indicators for the health of your pet during anesthesia. Your pet will receive an injection of a sedative and analgesic (pain medication). This will help your pet during induction of anesthesia and recovery afterwards. Your pet will be comfortably housed in either the cat ward (for cats and some small dogs) or the dog ward (for dogs of all sizes) while waiting for surgery. Your pet will be induced under anesthetic by either injection, or gas depending on your pet’s special needs. Your pet will have an endotracheal tube placed in his/her windpipe to enable your pet to breathe and to prevent vomit or saliva from entering the lungs while under anesthetic. Your pet will be hooked up to an anesthetic machine where the oxygen and gas anesthetic will be carefully measured and closely monitored by a trained technician during the entire procedure. Your pet will be prepared for surgery, making sure all surgical sites are shaved free from hair as well as being cleaned and disinfected with sterilizing soaps. Your pet will then be transported to the surgery room where the veterinarian performs surgery. All instruments, drapes, and supplies used during surgery are sterilized which means a bacteria-free environment. This greatly reduces the likely-hood of infection. If your pet is having a dentistry or radiographs (X-rays) this procedure is usually performed by a trained technician under the supervision of the veterinarian. During any procedure performed under anesthetic, your pet will be continually monitored by a trained staff member. Careful attention is paid to your pet’s heart rate, respiration, mucous membrane colour, reflexes, blood pressure and response to external stimuli. Anesthetic and oxygen will be adjusted according to your pets needs. If you have an older pet or a pet undergoing a more lengthy/complicated procedure, your pet may need further detailed monitoring by a technician in accordance with fluid administration and specific medication that your pet might require. After a procedure performed under anesthetic has been completed, your pet will be allowed to wake up. During this recovery period, your pet will be continuously monitored and assessed. Temperature will be recorded, as well as close attention to vital signs – pulse, heart rate, mucous membrane colour, reflexes and response to external stimuli. Our hospital prefers to do surgeries/anesthesia in the morning and while we may have several surgeries scheduled on that day, all surgeries are generally completed well before 12.00pm. Please call our office between 12 and 2 pm to get an update of your pet’s condition. This will also allow us sufficient time to determine when your pet has recovered enough to go home. In order to facilitate healing and comfort for your pet, we recommend analgesics or pain medications. Depending on the specific needs of your pet, there are several forms available. Such medications may include a duragesic pain patch which is applied to the skin, liquid or tablet oral medications in the form of an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) or a narcotic. Please consult with the veterinarian regarding pain medications for your pet. What Can I expect for my pet following an anesthetic procedure? When your pet arrives home, he or she will be very excited at seeing you and will probably want to eat or drink excessive amounts of food or water. Do not allow this or your pet will start vomiting. During the first 24 hours at home, only give your pet small amounts of food and water to eat or drink at any one time.
Your pet will be wobbly from the anesthetic for the next day. Ensure your pet is kept quiet and is helped up and down stairs. Do not allow your pet to jump on high places as they could fall and hurt themselves.
Your pet may experience pain or discomfort after a surgical procedure. Please do not use your own pain medications unless specifically instructed to do so by the veterinarian. Some human pain medications are toxic to pets. If you feel your pet is experiencing pain, please contact our office so the veterinarian can prescribe the correct medication for your pet.
Keep your pet as dry and clean as possible.
If your pet had surgery, inspect the surgical site at regular intervals. Make sure your pet does not lick, chew or pull at his or her sutures. If your pet does this, please pick up an Elizabethan collar from our hospital.
If your pet had surgery, avoid excessive exercise for the first 7 days.
If your pet goes home with a splint, bandage or cast, it is essential that he or she remain quiet. The splint, bandage or cast must be kept dry and clean. Notify the hospital if any of the following occur: Your pet shows signs of acute illness (repeated vomiting, extreme depression etc.)
Sutures are lost or removed from the incision site.
The incision site is swollen, very red or bleeding.
The bandage, splint or cast becomes wet or odourous.
Please ensure your pet is scheduled for suture removal if required. | 
