Frequently Asked Questions

Today’s modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. Here at River Ridge Animal Hospital, we thoroughly examine your pet before administering anesthetics. We also adjust the amount and type of anesthetic used depending on the health of your pet.

Preanesthetic blood testing is important in reducing the risk of anesthesia. We recommend this for every pet before surgery to ensure the liver and kidneys can handle the anesthetic. Even apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system problems that cannot be detected without blood testing. If there is a problem it is much better to find it before it causes anesthetic or surgical complications. Animals that have minor dysfunction will handle the anesthetic better if they receive IV fluids during surgery. If serious problems are detected, surgery can be postponed until the problem is corrected.

We offer in-house blood testing on the day of surgery. We recommend different panels depending on the age and health of your pet. For geriatric or ill pets, additional blood tests, urine tests, or radiographs may also be required before surgery.

Surgery must be performed on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of vomiting during and after anesthesia. You will need to withhold food for at least 8 to 10 hours before surgery. Older pets may have water until the morning of surgery.

For many surgeries, we use absorbable sutures underneath the skin. These will dissolve on their own and do not need to be removed later. Some surgeries, especially tumor removals, will require skin sutures. With either type of suture, you will need to keep an eye on the incision for swelling or discharge. If there are skin sutures, these will usually be removed 10 to 14 days after surgery. You will also need to limit your pet’s activity level for a time. No baths are allowed for the first 10 days after surgery.

After surgery, pain medication is chosen on a case-by-case basis. For dogs, we may recommend an oral anti-inflammatory, or other stronger medications for several days after surgery to lessen the risk of discomfort and swelling. We use medications that are less likely to cause stomach upset. Recent advances in pain medications have allowed for better pain control in cats than ever before.

Providing pain relief is a humane and caring thing to do for your pet.

When you bring your pet in for surgery, we will need about 10 minutes of time to fill out presurgical paperwork. When you pick up your pet please plan on spending about 10-20 minutes to go over your pet’s home care needs.