General Surgery

Throughout your pet’s life, there may be instances when surgery is the appropriate choice to support his or her overall health. At VCA Shelden Animal Hospital, we strive to make this experience as soothing as possible for you and your pet.

What to Expect

Our staff is trained extensively in the use of anesthesia and surgical protocol, and ensuring the safety and comfort of your pet is our top priority. As part of the pre-surgery preparation, we will review the entire process with you from start to finish. This is our opportunity to answer questions and explain the details of the procedure. This is also when we perform the necessary pre-surgical blood work on your cat or dog. Post-surgery, we provide peace of mind by calling you as soon as your pet has woken up and informing you of their condition.

Preparing for Surgery
It is our goal to minimize the risks and complications that are possible whenever surgery is performed. We feel strongly that there is no such thing as a minor surgery. We know that your pet is very dear and important to your family. Some steps we take to make your pet's surgery as uneventful as possible include: pre-surgical blood work, gas anesthesia, EKG monitoring, staff monitoring, sutures buried under the skin and pain medication. The following are things you need to know to prepare for your pet's surgery:

Fasting - To prevent vomiting, you should withhold food from your pet after midnight the night before surgery. You do not need to withhold water. If your pet is on medication, you should give his/her morning dose of medications, even if that means you have to give the medication in a small amount of food. Please keep the amount of food to an absolute minimum. You should not withhold food from pets less than 3 months of age.

Bloodwork - Just as you would have bloodwork completed prior to undergoing a general anesthetic, we will run bloodwork on your pet prior to surgery. If the bloodwork is abnormal, we may postpone the procedure until the problem is treated. Sometimes, if the blood values are only slightly abnormal, we may still proceed with the dental or surgery, but dispense medication to treat the problem. Fast your pet 8-12 hours before bloodwork is done. The following are the forms of bloodwork we run prior to surgery or a dental:

• Pre-Surgical with Chemistry – This blood profile includes a complete blood count and an abbreviated chemistry. A complete blood count checks the red and white blood cell numbers, showing any possible infection or anemia. A chemistry panel allows us to evaluate liver and kidney function, blood sugar level, and electrolytes. Normal organ function is important when an anesthetic is planned.
• Geriatric Panel – For our geriatric patients we recommend more extensive blood work, because these patients are more likely to have abnormalities. This is
  recommended for dogs over 7 years old and felines over 9 years old.

Dental - Antibiotics will be dispensed to your pet and should be started three days prior to dental cleaning. Medications should be continued after the dental cleaning, until all are used.
Pain - Pain medication is an important part of post-operative care. We routinely give a medication pain injection prior to surgery unless your pet is already on pain medicine. Cats that have undergone a declaw surgery receive pain medication for a full 24 hours post-operation.

Discharge Instructions - We will provide you with written discharge instructions so you will know exactly what you need to do for your pet during the post-operative period. We will verbally cover the instructions at the time we discharge your pet after surgery.

Please feel free to ask questions.