Surgery for your Pet

Our Unique Approach to Surgery

Your pet is as important to us as it is to your family and that is why we have a unique approach to surgery. Reducing the standard of surgical care to reduce the cost of your pet’s surgical procedure can potentially cause them to feel pain and even compromise their safety, which is not something St. Francis Pet Clinic is willing to do. Our compassionate, personalized, high standard surgical care is designed to give your pet the safest, most comfortable experience.

Why Our High Standard Surgical Plan is Beneficial for You and Your Pet:

  • Surgical check-in consultation with a skilled technician – provides you with the peace of mind when you meet a surgical nurse and she reviews your pet’s medical plan and answers any questions you may have.

  • Direct hotline to your pet’s nurse - Reduces stress because you can call at any time and speak directly to your pet’s technician to receive instant updates about your pet throughout the day

  • Veterinary Pre-Surgical Exam – Your pet can’t tell you if they feel bad the day of surgery. The exam ensures they are not running a fever and are in good physical condition.

  • Pre-Surgical Labwork – Your pet may look healthy physically, but we need labwork to tell us how your pet’s body is functioning internally. It can tell us if there is infection, anemia, or any abnormal organ functions that cannot process anesthesia.

  • Pre-Surgical Pain Injection - Controls pain before the procedure begins to ensure that they are comfortable when they are anesthetized.

  • IV Catheter & IV Fluids – Ensures that we have access to your pet’s vital organs and ensures blood pressure stays high enough during anesthesia to provide sufficient blood supply to vital organs as well as prevent dehydration.

  • Anesthesia – We use a combination of injectable anesthesia to induce sedation and Isoflurane Gas to maintain your pet under anesthesia.

  • Surgical Monitoring - We monitor respiration rates, pulse oxygen levels, heart rate, and body temperature. With these monitors, we can ensure vital organs are receiving good blood flow and oxygen, the heart is beating correctly and your pet is not too hot, too cold, or feeling pain.

  • Post- operative recovery & nursing care – Your pet’s technician skillfully monitor your pet for any signs of post-anesthesia complications and maintain a clean and comfortable recovery.

  • Post-Surgical Telephone Consultation with your pet’s surgeon – We know you worry about your pet and we want you to have a good experience. Your pet’s surgeon will call you after the surgery is complete to discuss the procedure, recovery, and schedule a discharge time.

  • Post-surgical discharge consultation – Our skilled technicians will work with your pet’s surgeon to prepare a hand-written discharge sheet catered to the specific procedure performed. When you arrive at your scheduled discharge appointment, the technician will carefully explain post-operative care instructions, medications and dosages, and answer any concerns you may have.

  • Next day follow-up – Going home with your pet after surgery can be overwhelming. Because we have such flexible hours we are always available to answer your questions until 7pm Monday through Friday. If we do not hear from you, a technician will call you the next day to follow-up and ensure that your pet recovered normally and you don’t have any additional questions or concerns.

  • Suture Removal – When you pet has healed, a technician and a veterinarian will ensure that the surgical site has healed properly before removing the sutures/staples at no charge.

What Do I Need to Know Before Surgery?

  • No food or water after midnight the night before surgery

  • Always check with your doctor before giving any medications the morning of surgery

  • Surgical admitting time is between 7:30am-9am, but will vary based on the scheduled surgery time

  • A receptionist will call you the night before to alert you of your drop-off time

  • Please allow 15-20 minutes during admitting for our Receptionists and Technicians to fill out the necessary forms, review the estimate and answer any questions you may have.