Bolton Veterinary Hospital / Surgical FAQ's

What You Need to Know Before Your Pet's Surgery

Many people have questions about various aspects of their pet's surgery, and we hope this information will help. It also explains the decisions you will need to make before your pet's upcoming surgery.

What is the admission process?
When you bring your pet in for surgery, we will need about 30 minutes of your time to fill out paperwork, to meet with the surgeon, and to make decisions on the blood testing and other options available. If your pet has any special requirements, please advise us upon admission to the hospital. If you have any questions concerning charges or payments, please discuss them with us upon admission.

What is the discharge process?
When you pick up your pet after surgery you should plan to spend about 10 minutes to go over your pet's home care needs. Pets may be picked up at our Discharge Desk which is located through the side door. Payment in full for your pet's surgical expenses are due upon discharge. We accept cash, checks, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, CareCredit and ATM cards.

Is the anesthetic safe?
Today's modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. Here at Bolton Veterinary Hospital, we do a thorough physical exam on your pet before administering anesthetics to ensure that a fever or other illness won't be a problem. 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. Every pet needs blood testing before surgery to ensure that 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 dysfunctions 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.

For geriatric or ill pets, additional blood tests, electrocardiograms or x-rays may be required before surgery as well.

It is important that surgery be done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of vomiting during and after anesthesia. For dogs and cats, you will need to withhold food for at least 12 hours prior to surgery. Water can be left down for the pet until the morning of surgery. For specific feeding instructions pertaining to any other species, please contact our office.

Will my pet have sutures?
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 do require skin stitches. With either type of suture, you will need to keep an eye on the incision for swelling or discharge. Most dogs and cats do not lick excessively or chew at the incision, but this is an occasional problem you will also need to watch for. If there are skin sutures, they will usually be removed 10 to 14 days after surgery. You will also need to limit your pet's activity level for a time and no baths are allowed for the first 7 days after surgery.

Will my pet be in pain?
Anything that causes pain in people can be expected to cause pain in animals. Pets may not show the same symptoms of pain as people do; they usually don't whine or cry, but you can be sure they feel it. Pain medications needed will depend on the surgery performed. After surgery, pain medication is given on a case by case basis. Any animal that appears painful will receive additional pain medication.

What other decisions do I need to make?
While your pet is under anesthesia is the ideal time to perform other minor procedures, such as dentistry, ear cleaning or implanting an identification microchip. If you would like an estimate for these extra services, please call ahead of time. This is especially important if the person dropping the pet off for surgery is not the primary decision maker for the pet's care.

We will call you the day before your scheduled surgery appointment to confirm the admission time and feeding instructions and to answer any questions you might have. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to call us with any questions about your pet's health or surgery.