FAQs
Answers to Your Pet’s Most Common Questions: Explore Our FAQ Section for Valuable Insights and Peace of Mind
Answers to Your Pet’s Most Common Questions: Explore Our FAQ Section for Valuable Insights and Peace of Mind
Why did my primary veterinarian recommend VSC for my pet?
While your primary veterinarian can perform many surgeries, scheduling a board-certified surgeon to perform your pet’s procedure may be recommended when more advanced equipment or knowledge is needed. Since VSC performs surgery in the familiarity of your primary veterinarian’s hospital it allows for increased comfort for your pet, decreased travel time, and continuity of care.
Who will be performing my pet's surgery?
Dr. Schaible is the lead surgeon at APVS and will be performing your pet’s surgery. She may require intraoperative assistance from your primary veterinarian or their staff when indicated.
Anesthesia is a necessary component to surgery, who will be administering and monitoring my pet’s anesthesia?
Since your primary veterinarian and their staff are most familiar with your pet and their medical history, anesthesia is best performed by them. Dr. Schaible reviews all pertinent records and directly coordinates with your veterinarian to develop an individualized anesthetic protocol. The trained staff at your primary veterinarian’s hospital closely monitors your pet during surgery with supervision from Dr. Schaible and your veterinarian. Your pet then continues recovery in the comfort of their primary hospital until your veterinarian determines they are ready for discharge.
How should I prepare my pet for surgery: can they have food and water?
Recommendations may be adjusted by your primary veterinarian and should be followed.
We recommend allowing your pet to have water normally until you leave your home for surgery.
Healthy patients should have no food after midnight prior to surgery.
Patients at risk of regurgitation (ex. brachycephalic breeds, GI patients) will be allowed to have 25% volume of normal meal as a pate-consistency canned food between 4:00 – 6:00 am the day of surgery.
Patients under 8 weeks or <2 kgs body weight, should receive 50% volume of normal meal as a pate-consistency canned food at 6:00 am the day of surgery.
Diabetic patients will be allowed 50% volume of normal meal as pate-consistency canned food around 6:00 am the day of surgery with half their insulin dosage.
What should I bring with my pet the day of surgery?
Please bring your pet to your veterinarian’s hospital at the previously scheduled time. You may want to bring 1-2 meals of your pet’s normal food. You should bring all prescribed medications (even if your pet is not actively taking them). If your pet is diabetic, please bring their insulin and syringes. Remember to keep refrigerated medications cold during travel.
What will I need to have prepared for my pet after surgery?
Most surgical patients need to have a minimum of 2 weeks of exercise restrictions to allow appropriate healing. We recommend you prepare a confined area with non-slip flooring such as a kennel, play pen, or small room without furniture. Patients will need to be on leash when outside and can have short walks to urinate and defecate only. Patients should be restricted from running, jumping or rough play.
Orthopedic cases can require 2-3 months of restrictions and appropriate toys or enrichment may be needed. Exercise restrictions will be tapered over time based on your pet’s type of surgery. Owners may want to consider some of these items for patients with limb surgery: a sling (www.fourflags.com), full-body harness (www.helpemup.com) or lick sleeve (www.licksleeve.com).
Will my pet need any future appointments and who will they be with?
Follow-up care will be with your primary veterinarian. Most surgical patients will need a recheck 10-14 days after surgery to assess the incision +/- suture removal. For orthopedic cases, radiographic assessment of healing and surgical implants will be performed 6-8 weeks after surgery. Additional rechecks may be recommended based on the individual case requirements and will be outlined in the patient’s discharge.
What if I have additional questions regarding my pet’s surgery or care?
We hope that most questions and recommendations will have been answered by your primary veterinarian. Your veterinarian will have performed a thorough physical examination, necessary diagnostics, and discussed the surgical details. However, we place a high value on you not only understanding, but being comfortable with the surgical condition and procedure. Dr. Schaible will contact you by phone the day of the procedure to briefly review the surgery and expectations. In addition, we have provided several links to helpful surgical information as a review.
As a pet owner, if I need to contact VSC, how can I get into contact with the surgeon?
We recommend that questions about your pet’s medical care be directed to your primary veterinarian since they know your pet’s most current status. We are happy to discuss any concerns, complications, and results with your primary veterinarian directly. However, if needed you can email VSC with non-urgent questions at azpeaksvetsurgical@gmail.com.
