Departments

Surgery FAQ

What happens during a visit?

On the day of your pet’s appointment, you should arrive 15 minutes early with all referral information from your family veterinarian (X-rays, blood work results, other paperwork, etc). This will give you time to fill out registration paperwork and for the reception staff to enter all referral information into your patient file. You can fill out the registration forms online if you would like to save time. Once paperwork is complete, the surgery staff will get vital signs on your pet to relay to the surgeon. The surgeon will then speak to you about your pet’s history and perform an examination. If surgery is suggested, they will discuss the recommendations and provide you with the estimated cost for the procedure.

If surgery is elected, your pet will either be admitted or scheduled for a future surgery date. In the latter case, arrangements can be made to drop your pet off the night before, or the day of surgery.

What happens on the day of surgery?

Every day at CARE Center there are scheduled surgeries as well as emergencies that require our surgeons’ expertise. As a result, that day’s surgery schedule may not be known until that morning. Even then it may change if a critical case is presented. So we will not be able to give you a definitive time that your pet’s surgery will be performed. We can say that if your pet is scheduled for surgery on that day, it will get done that day (with very rare exceptions). Our surgeons are here until all cases are operated, even if this is at 11pm or later.

The surgeon will call you after surgery is completed, so please let us know what is the best phone number to use. The doctor will also then discuss with you the plans for the rest of your pet’s hospitalization, including care and length of stay.

Can I stay at CARE Center during surgery?

Yes, but we do not recommend it. This is for several reasons: primarily because of the timing issues discussed above, but also because we do not recommend visiting your pet within 8 hours of the completion of surgery. Your pet will be groggy from anesthesia, and so your presence may go un-appreciated, or in some cases cause your disoriented friend to become agitated.

We suggest you be comfortable at home while we make sure your pet is
comfortable with us.

Can I visit my pet?

Yes. We feel strongly that visitation is of enormous benefit to both you and your pet. We encourage families to visit if they feel comfortable doing so. We have no strict visitation hours, but we do request that owners do not visit from 8am-9am or 4pm-5pm, when we are changing personnel. We also ask that owners limit themselves to 30 minute visits in an exam room, and 15 minutes in the ICU. We strongly suggest waiting to visit surgery patients until the day after surgery is performed.

In all cases where you wish to visit, we recommend calling before you come, to make sure we will not have to keep you waiting. We make every effort to provide you and your pet with an exam room in which to spend some quality time. During very busy times, there may not be such a room available.

What kind of surgery do you perform?

Almost every type that is done in veterinary medicine. Our surgeons do both soft-tissue and orthopedic procedures. These surgeries include, but certainly aren’t limited to:

• Fracture repair
• Foreign body removal
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) repair,
  including TPLO
• Intervertebral disc disease repair
  (hemilaminectomy and ventral slot)
• Total Hip Replacement
• Portosystemic Shunt repair
• PDA (patent ductus arteriosis) repair
• Total ear canal ablation (TECA)
• Brachycephalic Syndrome conditions
• Surgical Oncology
• Arytenoid lateralization for Laryngeal Paralysis
• Diaphragmatic hernia repair
• Feeding tube placement

Where can I read more about my pet’s surgical condition?

The American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) has a very helpful website with descriptions of many of the conditions listed above (and some that aren’t listed here): www.acvs.org. We also recommend www.veterinarypartner.com as an excellent source of reliable pet health information that is assembled and reviewed by veterinarians.

Do I need a Board-Certified Surgeon for this procedure?

A very important question. Be sure to discuss this with your family veterinarian. If they refer you to CARE Center’s surgeons, they feel your pet would benefit from a specialist’s additional training. If you have sought out our website and haven’t asked your vet this question, we strongly recommend you do so.