Severna Park Veterinary Hospital Surgical Information

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Morning of Surgery

Fasting: NO food the morning of surgery

    • Withhold food after 10 PM the evening before surgery.
    • Water is okay and can always be available.
    • Diabetic Pets: Give only 1/2 dose of insulin in the morning and be sure to bring the insulin with you at time of drop off.
    • Long-term and Pre-surgical medications: Give as prescribed unless otherwise directed by your pet’s veterinarian.

Drop off: Your pet’s surgical technician for the day will meet with you at check in to go over pre-surgical documents and answer any questions you have.

  • Be sure to give all medications as prescribed by the veterinarian.
  • Our surgical technician will ask what medications were given and at what time. If you are unsure, please bring your pet’s medications with you in the original container.

Day-Of Expectations

Your pet will be one of several surgical procedures performed by the veterinarian that day. Before their procedure, your pet’s veterinarian will do a pre-surgical examination and review their bloodwork. This helps tailor the anesthesia medications used, rules out many pre-existing conditions, and checks for healthy organ function prior to your pet’s procedure.

Based on the pre-surgical examinations, the procedures being performed, patient stress, and other factors, your veterinary team will decide the order of procedures for the day. Plan on your pet being with us for most of the day, possibly staying until late afternoon or into the evening. The time your pet is discharged depends on the veterinary team’s case load, your pet’s recovery, and how the procedures went that day.

Please rest assured that while your pet is with us for their procedure they are resting comfortably in our treatment area where our team have eyes on them. We provide close monitoring throughout recovery and lots of love!

The Procedure

First, a pre-anesthetic mix of sedation drugs is given to help your pet relax which also helps for placing their intravenous (IV) catheter. Your pet will have a portion of their leg(s) shaved to allow the IV catheter to be placed. This provides immediate access to your pet’s circulatory system for rapid administration of drugs should an emergency arise, and/or administration of intravenous fluids to help maintain normal blood pressure, protect vital organs, and maintain proper hydration.

For procedures like spays, neuters or anything requiring an incision into the skin, we must shave off the fur around the incision site so we can sterilize and prep the skin. Before the final sterilization of the incision site, the doctor may administer a nerve block to provide additional pain control.

Your pet is then injected with anesthetics to relax them enough for intubation; and then immediately given inhalant anesthetic gas and oxygen to put them into a deeper sleep. They are now ready for their procedure!

During the procedure we monitor heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen level, anesthetic gas level, blood pressure, CO2 level, and body temperature.

For dental procedures a complete oral exam including probing and dental x-rays is performed to determine the health of your pet’s teeth below the gum line. This is how the veterinarian determines an appropriate treatment plan for your pet, including if any teeth need to be extracted.

We’ll give your pet a complimentary nail trim and can also place a microchip if requested.

After The Procedure

Once your pet is awake, they are closely monitored by one of the dedicated surgery technicians. The veterinarian will decide when your pet can go home based on their level of recovery. In general, we typically keep patients for at least 2-4 hours after they are safely standing.

Remember, they may need to stay with us all day and the veterinarian will let you know when they are ready to go home.

Our surgery technician will call you to go over the procedure, give you home care instructions and will schedule your pet’s pick-up time.

Surgery Discharge:

When you come in to pick up your pet, we’ll provide a written copy of your home care instructions and review them with you. We will also answer any questions you may have.

Recheck and Suture Removal:

Many pets have sutures placed that dissolve over time and do not need removal. This will be noted in their surgery discharge paperwork.

If your pet does have sutures that require removal, this should be scheduled for two weeks after their procedure. This can be scheduled at the time of discharge.

Protecting Your Pet After Surgery

Your veterinarian may recommend an anti-lick device to help your pet recover after their procedure. This recommendation will be noted in their surgical discharges.

Anti-Lick Devices prevent infections, promote faster healing and reduce complications and additional vet visits. Types of devices include:

  • An Elizabethan Collar (E-Collar) is cone shaped device worn around the neck. It prevents your pet from reaching the incision and chewing on the sutures. A properly fitted cone should be long enough to extend past the tip of your pet’s nose and tight enough so that only 2 fingers can fit easily beneath the collar.
  • A surgery suit is a protective sleeve or garment covering the affected area. It can be more comfortable than an e- collar. It is not suitable for all surgeries and requires monitoring for effectiveness. It is often beneficial to have two surgery suits to change out if one becomes soiled.

Preparing Your Home for Recovery

  • Create a quiet, safe space away from furniture your pet could jump on.
  • Limit movement using a crate, gate, or designated resting area.
  • Elevate food/water dishes if your pet has an e-collar.
  • Use a short leash to guide if stairs are unavoidable.
  • Keep your recovering pet separate from other pets for rest.
  • Place non-slip rugs on slick floors to prevent falls.

If you have any questions about your pet’s procedure, surgery day expectations, recovery, or discharges, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Your pet is dependent on you and us for a complete and healthy recovery from their procedure and we are here to help every step of the way!