Surgery F.A.Q.'s.
Is the anesthetic safe?
Today's modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. Here at Animal 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 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 before surgery, which we will go over with you when you bring your pet in. 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. You will need to withhold food for at least 8 to 10 hours before surgery. Water can be left down for the pet until the morning of surgery.
Will my pet have stitches?
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, 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, 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 and no baths are allowed for the first 10 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. Major procedures require more pain relief than things like minor lacerations.
For dogs, we may recommend an oral anti-inflammatory the day after surgery and several days after to lessen the risk of discomfort and swelling. We use newer medications, which are less likely to cause stomach upset and can be given even the morning of surgery.
Because cats do not tolerate standard pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, we are limited in what we can give them. Recent advances in pain medications have allowed for better pain control in cats than ever before. We administer a pain injection 10 minutes prior to surgery. 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, it 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.
When you bring your pet in for surgery, we will need to 5 to 10 minutes of time to fill out paperwork and make decisions on the blood testing and other options available. When you pick up your pet after surgery you can also plan to spend about 10 minutes to go over your pet's home care needs.
We will call you the night before your scheduled surgery appointment, to confirm the time you will be dropping your pet off 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.
Vaccination F.A.Q.'s
Is vaccination actually necessary?
Yes. Vaccination can help prevent your dog/cat from contracting potentially fatal diseases. Vaccines contain modified or killed versions of common feline/canine diseases. When they are injected into the body, your pets’s immune system will attack them. If your pet is later exposed to the disease again, the immune system will remember the disease and quickly counteract it.
Should I vaccinate for everything?
Not necessarily. There are two classes for canine and feline vaccines: Core and Non-Core.
Core vaccines are recommended for all dogs, regardless of breed, size or location. All dogs will see these life-threatening diseases in their lifetime. If it didn’t kill them and they were lucky enough to recover, they would still suffer the side effects for the rest of their lives. The core vaccines include distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus and rabies (required by law).
Canine: Non-core vaccines are reserved for pets with unique exposure risks or needs. These include leptospirosis, kennel cough, corona virus, giardia and Lyme disease. If any of these diseases are prominent in your area, you may want to consider vaccinating for them. If your dog will visit the groomer’s or kennel often, the kennel cough (bordetella bronchiseptica) vaccine may be recommended as well.
Is there a risk in giving vaccines?
As with human vaccination, there are always risks. However, the benefits of a healthy life certainly outweigh the risks of contracting a life-threatening disease. Your cat or dog may have mild tiredness, fever, soreness or reduced appetite, but these will go away in a day or two. If they persist longer, you should talk with your veterinarian. Rare cases have reported allergic reactions and sometimes death, but the chances of this happening are very low.
If your pet has had reactions to vaccinations before, it’s best to let your veterinarian give the vaccines. Let them know of the reactions, so they can make the proper adjustments and preparations.
What's the difference between MLV vaccines and killed vaccines?
An MLV (Modified Live Vaccine) is a live but weakened version of a virus that is used to stimulate immune response. A Killed vaccine is an inactive form of the virus, with all infectious bacteria taken out and killed.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both. MLV vaccines are more effective in preparing the immune system, they last longer and they’re also faster, achieving immunity in one dose. Killed vaccines pose no risk of infecting the animal, but are less effective in providing immunity and usually require two doses.
Why do puppies need a series of vaccinations?
Puppies receive antibodies from their mother’s milk, giving temporary protection against disease. These antibodies also see vaccines as a disease and can eliminate them before they stimulate the immune system. There is a time after weaning called “window of susceptibility,” where the antibodies wear off and the puppy is at risk for disease. However, it’s almost impossible to determine this time period for each individual puppy. By giving a series of vaccinations, you boost your puppy’s protection as soon as the mother’s antibodies wear off, whenever this happens.
Should I give vaccines to a pregnant or nursing animal?
In general, treatments of any kind are not recommended for pregnant or nursing animals unless the manufacturer has tested and proven them to be safe. The same is true with vaccines. If you have questions, check with your veterinarian first.
Keep in mind that vaccinating a nursing animal will not pass the protection on to the babies. Newborns only receive the antibodies from the colostrums in the first 36 hours of nursing, and the vaccine will take a week or more to fully affect the immune system. If the mother needs vaccination, it’s best to wait until after weaning, when the stress of pregnancy and nursing is removed. She will be better equipped to respond after she’s had adequate time to recover.
Are yearly boosters shots really necessary?
Up until a few years ago, this was the standard recommendation. However, recent studies show increasing evidence that some vaccines last much longer than a year. Talk to your veterinarian for recommendation. One vaccine schedule is not universal for all pets, so your vet will have the best insight into what kinds of vaccines your dog should receive and when they should receive them.
Parasite F.A.Q.S
What is a parasite?
A parasite is an organism that lives at the expense of another living being. In our pets, these usually take the form of intestinal worms (internal parasites) and fleas and ticks (external parasites).
How can I tell if my dog or cat has worms?
Certain parasites, such as tapeworms, are visible to the naked eye, but others must be detected under the microscope. If you will bring in a stool sample we will be glad to examine it microscopically to see if your pet has worms.
I saw small worms caught in the hair on my pets hind legs and tails. What are they?
Small white worms about the size of a grain of rice in length are tapeworm segments. They come from swallowing fleas, eating mice, or other dead wildlife. There are medications you can purchase from your veterinarian to eradicate tapeworms. There are NO products in the pet stores or grocery stores to kill tapeworms. Also, in order to keep them away, you should practice good flea control.
*Should I do a routine deworming of my pets?
We recommend routine deworming every 6 months to a year. If you don't want to medicate your pet without knowing that she has worms we can do 3 consecutive fecal samples to prove whether or not she needs deworming.
How do I control fleas on my pet?
With the advancement of flea control like Revolution, Frontine, and Advantage fleas are not quiet the menace they used to be. Please contact our office for a recommendation about how to treat your pet for fleas. Topical solutions can be used both on cats and dogs and are found to be one of the safest pest control methods around today.
Are flea collars very effective?
Not really. Since they are placed around the neck of the pet, they usually cannot kill any fleas, which are around the tail of your pet. The insecticide from flea collars is designed to be absorbed into the pets' blood stream and can be toxic. There are much better forms of flea control. Call us for more information.
How do I prevent my dog from getting ticks?
Preventative tick collars and topical liquids are available for tick prevention on dogs. (These products cannot be used on cats). You should know that ticks carry a vast array of diseases including Lyme Disease. There is a vaccination for dogs against Lyme Disease but the best protection is prevention with the above products.
What are heartworms and how can I prevent my dog from getting them?
Heartworms are parasites that actually live in the dog's heart. There is a blood test available to test for heartworm. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes so dogs need only to be treated in mosquito season (June to November). There is a once a month tablet that is used for prevention and can be given to your dog after she/he is confirmed heartworm negative with a blood test.
