Surgery

At Southpointe Pet Hospital, we provide general surgery services for both elective and non-elective procedures. Some procedures, such as spays and neuters, may require your pet to be seen prior to the day of surgery. However, most other procedures will have been discussed and planned at a pre-surgical physical examination and consultation. The common procedures we perform include:

• Spays and neuters
• Cesarean sections
• Soft tissue surgeries (including biopsies, lump removals, foreign body removals, bladder stone removals, etc.)
• Dental surgery (dental cleanings, tooth extractions, periodontal therapy, oral mass biopsies, etc.)

How do I prepare for my pet’s surgery?

These are basic guidelines for surgery for your pet. If your pet has any health concerns, you should consult your veterinarian prior to surgery day to come up with the best plan for your pet.

• Drop-off between 7:30 – 8:30 am on the day of surgery.
• Please do not feed your pet on the morning of their procedure. Take food away by midnight the night before. Yes, this includes treats! It is for your pet’s safety. If they regurgitate or vomit while sedated, they could aspirate food into the lungs. If their stomach is empty, this risk is dramatically reduced.
• You may leave access to water right up until drop-off time.
• If your pet is on any medications, please inform the veterinarian before the procedure. They will direct you about how to adjust their scheduled dosages around their anesthesia.
• At the time of drop-off, you will be asked to sign a consent form to give permission for the requested procedure to be performed, and that you have had your questions regarding the procedure answered. You will also answer some basic questions regarding your pet to ensure we are not overlooking any information that could be important before proceeding. An estimate of the cost for services is signed at this time to indicate we have prepared you for what the procedure will cost.
• You will be asked to provide a phone number at which you can be contacted if needed. It is very important that we are able to reach you at any time the day of the procedure. We may need to discuss the results of pre-anesthetic bloodwork, other diagnostics, or new findings during the procedure.
• If a specific pick-up time is required, you may let our staff know. However, we cannot guarantee that your animal will be recovered from surgery on an exact schedule. We plan our day carefully, but cancellations, complications and emergencies can sometimes change that schedule without warning.
• After the surgery is completed, you will receive a phone call to let you know how the procedure went and when your pet will be ready for pick up. Your pet will typically remain in the clinic for at least 3 hours of monitoring after recovering from anesthesia.
• At the time of pick-up, one of our registered veterinary technologists will go over your home care instructions and answer any questions or concerns you may have.