Pet Surgery

Neutering and Spaying

In Arnett Animal Hospital we use the most up to date anesthesia, equipment, and sterility procedures that are currently available to insure your pet's safety and comfort during surgery. From our surgical monitoring equipment to our "heated" surgical table, your pet's well being is a top concern to our entire staff. Pain management drugs are used to insure that our hospital and surgical "guests" are kept comfortable.

Preanesthetic blood testing is important in reducing the risk of anesthesia. Every pet needs blood testing before surgery to ensure that the liver and kidneys can handle the anesthetic. Even apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system 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.

We offer in-house blood testing before every surgery, which we will go over with you when you bring your pet in. Our doctors prefer the more comprehensive screen, because it gives them the most information to ensure the safety of your pet. For geriatric or ill pets, additional blood tests, electrocardiograms, or x-rays may be required before surgery as well. 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 8 to 10 hours before surgery. Water can be left down for the pet until the morning of surgery.

If you have watched "Emergency Vet" on Animal Planet, you are seeing procedures that we too perform on a daily basis. The gowns, masks, gloves, lights, monitors etc, are not there just for the "camera". You are seeing the actual "set up" and equipment that we do and use for each and every procedure. Clients are often amazed to learn that almost all of the surgical products that we use are identical to those used in human medicine. This list includes anesthesia solutions and gases, oxygen, suture material, instruments, endotracheal tubes, trays, tables, and lights. Our monitors are calibrated for animals, but have the same technology as monitors used on humans and are often manufactured by the same companies. Sterility procedures are also similar. Each surgery site is carefully shaved, disinfected and prepared for surgery by our trained technicians. A technician is always with your pet during any anesthetic procedure carefully monitoring its condition and communicating vital signs to the Veterinarian.

SPAY/NEUTER

Many people believe that spaying or neutering your pet is only to keep them from reproducing, but this is only one of the many benefits of the procedure.

The main reason for spaying or neutering your pet is to curb the overpopulation of animals in the world. Millions of dogs and cats are euthanized at animal shelters every year due to overpopulation and unwanted animals.

Reasons to spay your pet:

• Reduce the risk of mammary cancer by 99.5%
• Prevent uterine infections
• Prevent heat cycles and false pregnancies, as well as, unwanted real pregnancies

Reasons to neuter your pet:

• Prevent prostate and testicular cancer
• Prevent roaming
• Prevent aggressive and/or marking behavior

Studies show that spaying or neutering your dog or cat does not change its behavior or any secondary sex characteristics or development. You can also keep your dog or cat thin and trim with the proper diet and exercise after their procedure. We usually keep our spay patients overnight to avoid any problems related to transportation of a pet within recovery period. In addition to it we are providing pain management at least till the next day.

DECLAWING:

This operation may be considered for certain individuals who live indoors. The operation is done under general anesthesia and narcotics are used to control post operative pain. It does not involve a hardship and a cat can learn how to get along well without claws. Declawing is best done when a kitten is three months of age or older when it can be carried out at the same time as the neuter and spay. Young cats seem to learn to cope without their claws more quickly than do adults. In most cases only the front claws should be removed. The hind feet are not used for scratching furniture. Leaving the back claws still afford the cat some protection.

Declawing is not a cruel and bloody procedure. It is a common surgical procedure done under anesthesia. Most cats start walking around few hours after the surgery. Older cats will take longer to heal. If surgery is done by a good veterinarian with proper pain medication, many owners are surprised at how quickly the cat recovers. They don't stop eating and accept petting almost immediately. Shredded paper is recommended to use as litter for 1 week to prevent any sand from entering the wound. It is normal for some cats to shake their paws few days after declawing. It doesn't necessarily mean pain, but the glue or stitch left behind is more like an annoyance that the cat is trying to shake away. Just think of it this way: if your hand hurt, would you shake it? No, you would try to keep it as motionless as possible.