Surgery is a weekly phenomenon at Riverside South Animal Hospital. Most of our surgeries include Spaying, Neutering and Dental cleanings, but what actually goes on behind the scenes? What are we doing to ensure your pet is comfortable and safe? And what other kinds of surgeries could you see being performed at RSAH?
First and foremost, when you drop your friend off for their surgery in the morning, you will be greeted by our friendly reception staff as well as the Surgery Technician who will go over everything you need to know about the day, as well as other information we need to know as well! This can include when your pet last ate, if they are on any medication, and if you had any questions about what was going to happen today. Our job is to make sure your pet is comfortable, sure, but we also know just how important YOUR comfort is when you drop your pet off to us! We are here to answer any questions you have.
Secondly, once your pet has been admitted we can start preparing for their procedure! We have two anesthetic machines: one in the treatment area and one in the surgical suite. This allows us to keep your pet under a stable anesthetic while being prepared for surgery before moving them into the surgical suite. We also have monitoring equipment to discuss! We have a machine called a Cardell; this gives us frequent read-outs of your pet’s blood pressure, heart rate, and how oxygenated their blood is so that the Surgery Technician is always aware of how your pet is doing under the anesthetic. Rest assured your friend is being monitored at all times! Your pet will also be receiving Intravenous Fluids to support their blood pressure throughout the procedure.
So what’s next? Once the procedure is over, and your pet has received its injectable pain control medication and antibiotics, they will start to wake up! The Technician will make sure your pet is resting in a very cozy kennel wrapped in blankets, and that there are warming discs under the bed to make sure they stay warm. The technician will ensure your pet wakes up smoothly and comfortably before leaving their side, and in the meantime, will check their vitals again to make sure everything is going well! Once they are awake and feeling more alert we will give them something to eat and drink, and if applicable, take them for a walk. Remember, they had been getting fluids throughout the procedure so they may need to go to the bathroom! This is just another way we can make sure they are comfortable and not sitting with a full bladder! Once they are fully awake and are ready to go home an appointment will be booked with you and the Technician so they can go over everything you need to know about any medications going home and what to expect during the healing process.
What other procedures are done at Riverside South Animal Hospital?
Aside from our regular Spays and Neuters and Dental cleanings, quite regularly we book other kinds of interesting surgeries! These include: emergency procedures such as tail amputations, cystotomies (that’s when we remove stones out of the pet’s bladder) and wound repair; Tooth extractions, Enucleations (removal of the eye) and lump removals (both big and small!). We also have on-call specialists to call in to come in for those extra special surgeries such as repairing ligaments in your pet’s knee (commonly known as the ACL and CCL ligaments), as well as ultrasound.