Dogs and Cats undergo anesthesia for a variety of reasons, surgery, dental cleaning, wound treatment and sometimes examinations or radiographs. There are various types of anesthesia or sedation available depending on the procedure. You will be given instructions for your pets specific needs.
As a general rule, your pet may be a little sleepy or drowsy upon returning home. Please keep your pet in a safe area where he is unlikely to be injured (i.e., falling down stairs or off furniture). If allowed to eat and drink once they return home, we would recommend only small amounts of food to avoid nausea. They will probably sleep very well once they get home.
If your pet had surgery performed, we recommend that you limit his/her activity for 2 weeks to allow for adequate healing of the incision. Check the incision area twice a day for any signs of redness, inflammation, swelling or missing sutures/staples. If you think your pet is licking at the incision, please call the office to pick up an Elizabethan collar to prevent them from having access to the site. Most sutures/staples need to be taken out in 14 days. Please follow instructions on your discharge sheet. If a bandage or drain was placed, please follow the doctor’s discharge instructions. If a catheter was left in, usually it can be removed in the office a day or two after surgery. If you were sent home with antibiotics or pain medication, please use them as directed. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call the office.
If your pet has had an orthopedic procedure (fractures or torn ligaments), there are some specific instructions for you to follow. It is VERY important that you keep your pet as quiet as recommends to allow for adequate healing. Your pet needs to be leash-walked only when going to the bathroom for the first 14 days. Most orthopedic patients go home with a bandage on their leg which we will remove in 14 days. If the bandage gets wet or looks like it is slipping please give us a call or bring the pet in to have it evaluated. After the staple and bandage removal you can begin leash-walking for 5 minutes twice a day for the first week. Increase the walks by 5 minutes each week until they are 30 minutes long twice daily (6 weeks after staples come out). We usually want to recheck the pet after the first week of walking to see how he are doing. Radiographs and other follow-ups may be planned depending on the circumstances and type of injury/procedure. Please give ALL medications as directed. Please call us if you have any questions.
If your pet had a dental procedure, the teeth were ultrasonically scaled, polished and had a fluoride treatment preformed. Your pet may have had extractions preformed if unhealthy teeth were found. Following extractions, a small amount of blood may be noted in your pet’s mouth or even in the water bowl following drinking. If you have concerns please don’t hesitate to call the office. Some animals may be in more discomfort than others after a dental procedure. If you think your pet is hesitant to eat or drink, try softening their regular dry diet with water or include some soft food until healing is complete. Please finish any antibiotics or pain medications that have been prescribed. If you have any concerns about your pet please give us a call at the office.
Thanks for choosing Brenford Animal Hospital for your pet’s care.