Surgical Services for Pets
At Green Lane Animal Hospital, we have a state-of-the-art surgical suite that allows us to provide a wide variety of surgical procedures. We’re well equipped for dental, orthopedic, lumpectomy surgeries and more. Depending on your pet’s condition, our veterinarians will let you know the type of surgery your pet will need and how to prepare them prior to their arrival. We will call you the night before your scheduled appointment to confirm the time you will be dropping your pet off. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to call us at 905.597.7373 with any questions about your pet’s health or surgery.
Will my pet be in pain during their surgery?
Not at all. Your pet will feel no pain during their procedure as they will be under anesthesia all throughout. After their surgery, we will provide your pet with the pain medications they need. The medicine they’re given will depend on the surgery performed. 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 medication 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 in pain will receive additional medicine.
Is anesthesia safe for my pet?
Today’s modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. 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 will then adjust the amount and type of anesthetic used depending on the health of your pet.
Pre-anesthetic blood testing is important in reducing the risk of anesthesia. We recommend that every pet has a blood test before surgery to check on the health of their liver and kidneys. Seemingly healthy animals can have serious organ 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.
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 10 to 12 hours before surgery. Water can be left down for the pet until the morning of surgery.