Routine surgeries are scheduled Tuesday through Friday mornings. Surgical admissions start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 9:00 a.m. on these mornings. Once all patients are admitted and assessed, the veterinarian in surgery that day will set the order of the procedures.

Please note that emergency surgeries are scheduled as necessary.

Fasting

Most animals will be required to fast from 8:00 p.m. the night before their surgery. Water may be given overnight. Very young puppies and kittens, diabetic animals, patients requiring intestinal surgery and pets with certain types of tumors will have different fasting instructions. Your veterinarian will probably discuss these instructions at the time the surgery is booked; they will then will be confirmed by a receptionist a day or two prior to the surgery.

Medication

Some pets will be on medication at the time of their surgery. If your pet would normally require medication in the morning please contact us prior to the day of your pet's surgery to find out whether it should be given or not.

Updates

You will be called by the veterinarian with an update on your pet's condition once all the morning procedures are completed. This is usually between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. At this time you will also be informed of the hour at which your pet will be ready to go home. Your phone calls are always welcome although we may not yet have anything new to report.

Hospitalization

Depending on the surgery performed, some animals will be required to stay overnight following a surgery. In almost all cases this will have been decided prior to your pet's admission into the hospital. An unexpected overnight stay might occur, for example, when a patient is very slow awaking from anesthesia, or when a surgery was more involved than planned.

Visiting

Visiting is not encouraged on the day of a surgery as your pet will still be groggy following an anesthetic and will be less able to deal with the excitement following your arrival or the disappointment associated with your departure. Please discuss this with your veterinarian if you have any concerns.