Before & After Surgery

Fasting Your Pet

• Unless directed otherwise, your pet will need to be fasted before any sedation or general anesthesia (surgery, dental cleaning, endoscopic exam, etc.).
• No food should be given after 10 pm the night before surgery, but your pet can have water until 7 am the day of surgery.
• It is important that surgery be done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of aspirating any vomit while anesthetized.
• NEVER withhold food or water from a rabbit for any period of time because their gut needs to be in constant motion and they are incapable of vomiting.

Pet Drop-Off & Pick-Up

• You will need to drop off your pet the morning of surgery between 7 am - 8 am. If you are unable to do this you may drop off your pet the night before at no extra charge.
• Depending on the type of surgery performed, your pet will go home that night (usually between 4 pm - 7 pm) or the next morning (after 8 am). We will let you know when we call with a post-op update. There is no charge for your pet to stay overnight after surgery.
• Surgeries that typically go home the day of surgery: dental cleaning (with or without extractions), cat castration, mass/lump removal, and minor laceration/wound repair.
• Surgeries that generally stay overnight: dog castration, dog spay, cat spay, declaw, aural hematoma repair, urethra/bladder unblocking, cystotomy, amputation, enucleation, abdominal exploratory, and foreign body removal.

Incisions & Closures

• Depending on the procedure performed, your pet may or may not have stitches or staples after surgery.
• We most often use absorbable sutures underneath the skin (subcutaneous) - these sutures will dissolve and do not need to be removed. Tissue glue will be used in addition to subcutaneous sutures.
• Any stitches are generally removed 10-14 days post-op with a technician unless otherwise directed. Some surgeries may require up to 21 days with the sutures in place.
• Drains are usually removed 3-5 days after placement.