What happens when my pet comes in for a routine surgery such as desexing?
Let’s follow through the procedure for a routine surgery like desexing. Many surgeries follow a similar series of events...
Making the appointment.
When you make an appointment for surgery, we ask that you withhold food from your pet after dinner the night before the surgery but allow water to be available until that morning. This is an important safety precaution for any pet having an anęsthetic. We schedule a ten-minute appointment with the vet to admit them into hospital for the day. Our standard admission time is between 8.30 and 9am Mon-Fri . If you would like a particular vet to perform the procedure, let the receptionist know when you phone to book in. For routine procedures, the receptionist can provide an estimate of cost.
Admission
When you arrive at the surgery, we will record your pet’s weight and perform a brief physical examination. This is also the time when we establish whether there are other procedures that you may want done whilst they are under anęsthesia. For example, a six-month-old puppy may benefit from microchipping and a heartworm preventative injection. If appropriate, we will discuss the option to repair a hernia or remove hind dewclaws or retained temporary teeth.
There is no charge to clip nails or trim the hair away from the eyes of fluffy faces whilst they are asleep.
Preanęsthetic blood testing is offered for older or pets suspected of being unwell. We run these tests in our lab during the morning prior to the procedure. A vet will phone to discuss the results if there are any abnormalities.
After we have assessed your pet’s condition, we often administer a pre-med. This injection calms your pet, helps smooth the induction of anęsthesia and provides pain relief that continues after surgery.
Details of the procedure and estimated costs are filled out on a consent form along with your contact details for the day. We ask you to check that these details are correct and ensure that you are aware of the cost and understand the anęsthetic risk involved before signing the consent form.
Your pet is then settled into a secure cage on a fluffy blanket and any comfort toys from home that you wish to leave with them. Leaving your pet can be likened to the first time you left a child in care but within a few minutes the pre-med will do its work.
We ask you to phone us after 3pm by which time we can make a pick up appointment. Usually this is between 4 and 6 pm.
Each morning the nurses prepare the operating theatre. They check the anęsthetic machine and oxygen supply, ensure the room is clean and warm, set up the operating table with a warm padded cradle for the pet to lie in and set out sterile surgical kits and drapes for the days procedures. In the preparation area, another anęsthetic machine and heated bed is made ready with clippers and skin scrub solutions. By preparing the animal for surgery here, we can leave hair and grime behind us when we transfer to the surgery room. Anęsthesia
Using the weight and condition of the patient as a guide, the anęsthetic dose is calculated. We use anęsthetic induction agents that have a high level of safety. Our nurses have mastered wonderful ways to cuddle and distract pets so they stay still for their anęsthetic injection. A small area on the forearm is clipped for this intravenous injection which gently but quickly induces an unconscious state. Next, an endotracheal tube is placed into the pet’s windpipe and its cuff inflated to ensure a snug fit. This tube is connected to the anęsthetic machine to maintain anęsthesia with Isoflurane gas and oxygen. The great thing about gas anęsthesia is the control it gives over the depth of anęsthesia. All our nurses are trained to ‘drive’ these machines and in particular to monitor your pet throughout their procedure. They do this by closely observing and charting your pet’s vital signs. They are assisted by monitors that can measure respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure and oxygenation.
Preparation
Once the pet is anęsthetised, the surgical site is clipped and cleaned with a series of antiseptic solutions. The surgeon also scrubs his/her hands and dons sterile gloves. Gown and caps are also worn for major surgeries.Surgery
The surgery room is set away from the general activity area and provides a clean, warm, well-lit quiet area where the vet and anęsthetist can focus on your pet’s procedure. The vet first surrounds the prepared surgical area with sterile drapes. In the case of desexing, the uterus and ovaries in the female or the testicles in the male are surgically removed and the wound sutured. Within minutes of turning off the gas anęsthetic agent, the pet begins to wake up and the endotracheal tube is removed. If they seem disoriented and confused, the nurse will wrap them in a warm blanket and comfort them until they settle.
Pain ReliefIn addition to the pain relief given with the pre-med, we always give further pain relief before the pet wakes up. As animal lovers, it is a high priority for us to help each pet be as comfortable as possible when recovering from surgery. Recovery
The pet is tucked up warmly in a recovery cage in the general work area where we can easily keep an eye on them whilst they’re drowsy. When they’re awake again, they are returned to the general ward to await your arrival. They may be up to a wee-walk or a drink of water during the afternoon or may just prefer to sleep.
Kit and Drape PreparationThen there’s always the cleaning up. Instruments and drapes are soaked, scrubbed, repacked and sterilized in an autoclave, then stored ready to go again. Discharge
A nurse will explain the aftercare your pet will require and make a follow up appointment to check the wound or remove sutures. A copy of these instructions will print out on you receipt. Following procedures like desexing, we would expect your pet to go home slightly subdued but alert and eat a small meal. We advise that they sleep inside that night to keep warm as anęsthesia temporarily reduces their ability to regulate body temperature. Together, we check the wound so that you understand what to look out for. Pets that become overzealous in their attention to the wound need to wear an Eliabethan collar that stops them traumatizing the wound. Recheck
We like to recheck surgeries to be sure they are healing well either 3 days post surgery if the sutures are internal or at 10 days if sutures need be removed. There is no additional charge for this recheck, however you do need to make an appointment. The majority of dogs are happy to come back into the hospital and this is our chance to make amends with a treat or two.
Next: Soft Tissue Surgery
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