Surgery

The thought of surgery can create a lot of stress for people and their pets.  Rest assured that we will take good care of your pet while at Sisters Veterinary Clinic.  Your pet's safety and well-being are of the upmost importance, and we will take every precaution we can to prevent problems and guarantee a successful outcome. 

-Patients are admitted to our hospital at 7:30 am.  A veterinary technician will meet with you to fill out paperwork and answer any questions or concerns you may have.  A pre-anesthetic exam will be performed and blood samples will be taken for testing if needed. Bloodwork assesses your pet's organ function and helps us select an anesthesic protocol that is safe for your pet.

-Your pet will be given medications to cause relaxation and allow us to place an IV catheter. The catheter will be there before, during, and after surgery. This provides us emergency vein access if needed, and allows us to administer IV fluids to help maintain blood pressure during surgery. 

- Your pet will be provided with a pain relieving injection before surgery. Studies show that pain control is much more effective when started before a procedure. Certain pain relieving injections also limit the amount of anesthesia we use, which makes the procedure safer.

-During surgery, your pet's vital signs will be monitored closely by a veterinary technician and an electric patient monitor. The monitor will be attached to your pet and constantly monitors heart rate, ECG, respiratory rate, temperature, the amount of oxygen in the blood, and blood pressure. Manual vitals are also taken, and are charted on paper every few minutes.

-Your pet's body temperature is monitored and controlled during the whole procedure. Pets lose a lot of heat during surgery due to not being able to shiver. Hypothermia can cause slowing of the heart and a slow recovery afterwards. We use a warming device paired with warm IV fluids, blankets, and towels to keep your pet's temperature normal during surgery.

-Pets don't show pain like we do so it is important to give pain medication regardless of how your pet acts.  Pain delays healing and can lead to undesirable behaviors such as licking of the surgical incision. We want a speedy recovery for your pet so pain medication will be sent home after every surgical procedure.

-After surgery, the attending technician will call you to let you know when your pet is in recovery. They will also set up a discharge time for your pet and send you a text picture of your pet.

-At discharge, the veterinarian will discuss how the surgery went and any special care you need to give your pet.  The veterinary technician will review medications and assist you with getting your pet into the vehicle.  We will call you the following day to make sure your pet is recovering well and address any concerns you have.

If you have additional questions about surgical procedures, please contact us at 316-722-6240. We look forward to taking care of your pet in all it's needs.