Your Pet's Surgery

We know that both you and your pet can be nervous about surgery, so we go to great lengths to make sure that your pet’s stay here is as stress-free as possible.

Before your pet has surgery we will do a complete physical examination to make certain that he is fit enough for anesthesia. We will also perform pre-anesthetic blood work to check for infections, anemia, or other organ problems. We won’t start any procedure until one of our veterinarians gives your pet the OK for surgery.

Often, pre-anesthetic medications are given before your pet’s surgery to relax him and make the experience less stressful. In addition, we will administer pain medication to pets so that they will not experience pain after surgery. There are many anesthetic agents to choose from; we will decide on the optimal combination to suit each individual pet. We use gas anesthesia on almost every surgery. Our clinic experiences far less than ½ percent chance of your pet having ANY surgical complications before, during, or after surgery.

An IV catheter is placed giving the Doctor direct access to a vein, prior to, during, and after the surgery. Fluids are administered to help maintain blood pressure and hydrate the patient. Each patient’s pulse, oxygenation levels, respiration, blood pressure, and the temperature is monitored by a trained technician from the moment we begin anesthesia until he has recovered and is resting comfortably. We take great care to make certain that your pet stays warm, relaxed, and safe throughout his stay with us.

We perform a wide array of soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries in addition to routine surgeries such as spaying and neutering. If there are surgeries that we do not have the expertise to perform, we will refer you to a board-certified surgeon who can perform the necessary procedure.

If you have questions or concerns about any aspect of anesthesia or surgery at Root River Veterinary Center, please do not hesitate to contact our knowledgeable staff. We are here to help you keep your cats and dogs healthy and happy for as long as possible.