We take seriously the trust you place in the Animal Hospital team to provide care for your pets. We understand surgeries and anesthetic procedures can be stressful for clients and patients alike and do our best to alleviate anxiety leading up to and during the day of surgery. From routine procedures to higher-risk emergency surgeries, we take precautions to ensure the best possible outcome for our patients.
Surgeries are performed on weekdays at the Animal Hospitals with check-in time at our Statesville location between 7-7:30 and at our South Main location between 7:30-8 the morning of surgery. We can also check-in your pet the afternoon prior to surgery with no charge for overnight care. We ask that food is withheld after 10 PM the night before surgery, but water is fine to provide to your pet. During surgery check-in, our technicians and assistants will confirm details prior to procedures and help you know what to expect as the day proceeds.
Once checked in, our technicians and assistants will pull pre-operative samples and perform diagnostics necessary prior to anesthesia. These tests are similar to the screenings routinely performed in human medicine. Our doctors will then perform a full physical exam on your pet. If any abnormalities are found, we may modify or delay anesthesia until the problem is corrected.
One of our Registered Veterinary Technicians will be with your pet and monitoring vitals at all times from the pre-operative stage until they have recovered post-operatively. We premedicate with a combination of pain medication and anti-anxiety medication to help your pet relax and feel comfortable heading into their procedure. Then, our technicians induce anesthesia, prepare your pet for their procedure, transfer them to the operating or dental suite, and set up all of our vital monitoring equipment. Your pet will be placed on a ventilator, and we will monitor heart rate, oxygen saturation, carbon dioxide, blood pressure, EKG, and respiratory rate. This allows any potential problem to be addressed as it arises. Our skilled doctors will then perform the procedure. After surgery, our technicians recover your pet, administer additional pain medications, and perform any other needed services as discussed with you by the doctor. Our patients are then able to rest peacefully until they are ready to discharge.
The doctor will be in touch with you throughout the day with updates, including when your pet will be ready to go home. At discharge, our technicians will go over all discharge instructions and help you prepare for the post-operative period.
If you have any questions or want to discuss your pet’s surgical needs, please contact us to schedule an appointment.