General Surgery Information

          Our surgical services include soft tissue as well as some orthopedic procedures. Some of the routine and soft tissue surgeries include spays and neuters, declaws, tumor removal, abdominal exploratory surgeries to remove foreign objects that pets have ingested, mass removal, C-sections, and various eye repairs. Additionally, Dr. Bill Imperial is able to repair most ACL tears and MLPs (Medial Luxating Petella). In order to schedule a surgery, your pet must have been examinined by one of our veterinarians within the past 6 months for routine surgery such as spays, neuters and declaws. Other surgeries may require a pre-surgical visit, which may include:

• Physical exam
• Blood work to minimize anesthetic risks
• Updating vaccinations if necessary. Remember your pet will be in our recovery area with other pets. We need to ensure each pet is protected against contagious diseases.
• Discussing the surgical procedure
• Answering any questions you may have about the procedure
• Discussing any possible complications that may result
• Discussing post-surgical home care 
• Signing paperwork and/or providing an estimated cost in order to make the check-in process as efficient as possible

 
Our surgeries include the following:

• Equipment to monitor your pet's heart, lungs, oxygen saturation levels, temperature, and blood pressure
• IV fluids to help maintain blood pressure while under anesthesia and to aid in the reversal of the anesthesia when the surgery is over
• Pain management before, during, and after your pet's surgery
• The antiemetic injection "Cerenia" to prevent pre- and post-surgical nausea and vomiting. Your pet will feel better and eat meals sooner than without this medication.
• Warm water heating pads to help maintain your pet's body temperature.

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Important Information for Your Pet's Surgery:

• No food after 7:30 pm the day before the surgery.
• It is okay to leave water out for your pet prior to surgery.
• Admittance time is 7:45 am the morning of the surgery for all dogs during the week. We ask that cats come in the evening before surgery, usually by 5:30 pm, except for Monday mornings. This helps reduce the stress to our feline patients because they have time to settle down from the car ride and acclimate to their new surroundings. On Mondays, all pets are admitted at 7:45 am. 
• Please notify us of any medications given 24 hours prior to surgery. Please ask if you should give your pet's medication the morning of surgery. This is especially important for diabetic patients.
• Most pets are able to go home after 3 pm. The surgery assistant will call you after your pet has recovered from anesthesia with an update and a dismissal time.