Canine Orchiectomy (Neuter)
Before Surgery
✓ DO NOT feed your pet a meal/treats after 10pm the night before unless otherwise directed
✓ DO allow your pet water overnight
✓ DO give any medications prescribed for the procedure as directed
✓ DO check if your pet’s other medication(s) may be given that morning
✓ DO bring your pet for your scheduled time between 7:45 am and 8:15 am
✓ DO ensure you have CONTACT and EMERGENCY CONTACT phone numbers
✓ DO allow yourself a few minutes to go over admitting information with the technician
Pre-Surgical Medications
We are always looking to improve and enhance anesthesia for our patients. The protocol we use involves sending you home with a medication to be given the morning of (it can be given with a small treat). Cerenia prevents nausea and vomiting pre and post operatively and is given the morning of. This medication lasts 24 hours and will allow your pet to eat soon after surgery.
Pre-Operative Exam
For your pet to have a safe surgical experience the veterinarian performing the procedure should be familiar with your pet's history and physical condition. With modern drugs and sophisticated equipment, the risk associated with general anesthesia and surgery is minimal for the healthy pet. However, the potential for complications still exists, and the best way to minimize the risk for your pet is to have a complete pre-surgical evaluation performed before the procedure. This allows us to determine if your pet has developed any underlying problems that might lead to complications during or after surgery, and to make any adjustments necessary to safeguard your pet’s health and comfort. The amount of preparation will be dictated by the age and health concerns of your pet, and by the nature of the procedure. Once all the information has been gathered and analyzed, our veterinarians will make recommendations about the advisability to proceed with anesthesia and surgery.
In some situations, the risk will be too great, and the procedure will be delayed allowing time to treat the underlying problem. In other cases, the decision will be that it is safe to proceed as planned. Sometimes adjustments will be made to minimize risk even further, such as using a different type of anesthetic, administering pre-surgical antibiotics, giving intravenous fluids prior to the surgery or additional fluids after surgery, or whatever else the veterinarian deems necessary for your pet. A systematic visual inspection of the pet’s head, neck, limbs, and body including palpation (feeling with the hands) of the body’s outer surface (skin, fur, muscles etc.), assessment of internal abdominal organs through the body wall, auscultation (listening with a stethoscope) to the heart, lungs, and abdomen and measuring of your pet’s temperature, respiration rate and heart rate will all be assessed.
Pre-Anesthetic Blood Work
The 10 Chemistry and CBC (complete blood cell count); blood collection & interpretation charge is for blood work to be run prior to the procedure. This blood work is like an internal exam for your pet. It will check a complete blood cell count; white bloods cells that fight infection, red blood cells that carry oxygen and platelets which help with clotting. It will also look at electrolytes, liver and kidney function. Obviously, we want everything to be normal but if we find something abnormal, we can either change our anesthetic plan or defer the procedure until a later time, depending on what is found. For this reason, we like to run the blood work a few days prior to the anesthesia so any findings can be dealt with. It can also be run the morning of the procedure if absolutely needed.
Laser Surgery - What is laser surgery?
Laser surgery is the interaction of laser light with tissue provides a fundamentally different approach to surgery. In laser surgery, a highly focused laser beam can efficiently ablate (either vaporize or chip away) the living tissue. At the same time, it seals (welds) capillaries, small blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerve endings, with significant benefits to both patients and surgeons.
Laser Surgery Benefits for Patients
✓ Less Bleeding: As it cuts, the laser seals small blood vessels. This drastic reduction in bleeding enables several new surgical procedures that are not practical with conventional scalpel.
✓ Less Pain: The CO2 laser beam seals nerve endings and lymphatics, resulting in less edema and pain. The patient experiences a far more comfortable post-operative recovery.
✓ Reduced risk of infection: This is one of the unique features of the CO2 laser beam. It efficiently kills bacteria in its path, producing a sterilizing effect.
✓ Quicker recovery time: Reduced risk of infection, less bleeding, less pain and less swelling often allow the patient a far quicker recovery after the surgery.
IV Fluids
Your pet will have an IV placed and will receive IV fluids during their surgery to maintain hydration and proper blood pressure to the body and kidneys. They may also receive pain medications through their IV as well.
Microchip
A microchip is your pet's permanent ID. A pet microchip—the size of a grain of rice—goes beneath your pet's skin. This permanent ID can never be removed or become impossible to read. Shelters, Veterinary Hospitals use this ID to contact you and reunite you with your pet. This treatment is optional but recommended.
Hospital Care
During your pet’s stay, we will keep him comfortable on a memory foam bed with lots of blankets, treat hypothermia with warmers, and continue IV fluids if required. He will have close supervision to assess and treat pain post-operatively; observe for signs of nausea associated with anesthesia and treat if needed. Our goal will be to have him up walking to go to the washroom and eating by later in the day.
Pain Medications
We will be sending home pain medications to help your pet’s recovery at home. These medications treat inflammation (Meloxicam) and nerve pain (Tramadol or Gabapentin). Pain control is necessary for a successful recovery and comfort at home. Pain medications to be sent home will be decided upon the day of surgery.
Finally..
We will call you at your contact number after surgery to relay an update on your pet and schedule a discharge time for later in the day. At this time, we will make recommendations about either an E-Collar (Cone) or a Medical Pet Shirt to prevent your pet from licking his incision. The discharge time is with a technician to go over post-operative care, instructions, medications and answer any questions you might have.
Thank You for Entrusting Us with Your Pet’s Care
The Glendale Team