Dear Client,

Your pet has been scheduled for an upcoming surgery in the near future. In our attempt to assist clients, we have put together this packet to make surgery day as easy and stress-free as possible.

In addition to this letter, you will find that the following information has been enclosed:

1. Pre-Anesthetic Blood Testing Information Form (Bring in the day of surgery.)
2. Surgical Information Form (Bring in the day of surgery.)

Please read carefully all the enclosed information. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us. On your pet’s surgery day, we require you to review and sign a Surgery Consent Form and an Estimate Form, which allows you to choose optional services.

We require a phone number(s) where you can be reached surgery day. Failure to be reached on the day of the procedure may result in postponement of the surgery.

• Withhold all food and treats after 9:00pm.
• Water may be left down after this time period.
• If you are currently administering any oral or injectable medications, whether OTC or prescribed, please discuss with the doctor whether to give these medications on the morning of the surgery.

Please make arrangements for your pet to be dropped off on the morning of the scheduled surgery, unless other arrangements have been made in advance. At the time of drop off, our team will be happy to answer any questions or concerns and collect the completed consent forms.

Our veterinary nurse will escort your pet to the surgical prepping area to wait for their surgery. If you have elected any of the recommended blood tests, our nurse will collect all blood samples and tests prior to surgery.

If any questions arise, the doctor may contact you at the number on the Surgery Consent form.

We hope surgery day will be a pleasant experience. Remember, our team knows surgery can be an anxious time, and we are available to answer any and all questions concerning the upcoming procedure.

We look forward to serving you and your pet on the upcoming surgery day and for years to come.

We use a combination of pre-anesthetic medications/injectable and/or inhalant anesthetics to achieve optimum levels of anesthesia that are safe for your pet.

For most procedures, your pet is anesthetized and then intubated (insertion of a tube into the trachea or wind pipe). This will ensure that your pet is able to receive oxygen at all times and prevents aspiration of any fluids into the lungs.

For procedures that require minimum sedation, an injectable anesthetic is given that produces a good level of sedation with a quick recovery. Anesthesia is maintained with a gas anesthetic, Isoflurane, which is very safe and is not metabolized by the body. This allows us to have more control over anesthetic depth, and it is less irritating to the airways. It is a quick induction using a mask versus using injectable anesthetics that require metabolism by the body.

Monitoring of patients during anesthesia is done in two ways. First, a veterinary assistant is with your pet continuously from the beginning of anesthesia to recovery. Second, we have a computerized monitor that records heart rate, pulse rate, oxygen levels, respiration, ECG, core and rectal temperature.

Our clinic strongly believes in compassionate, quality, medical care for our patients. As a result, all surgery patients will receive pain management before, during and after surgery. Additionally, pain medication may be prescribed to be given to the pet at home. Additional information will be given at discharge. We hope this program will reduce any discomfort experienced and aid in a quicker recovery.

We highly recommend the placement of an IV catheter and use of IV fluids during all anesthetic procedures for senior pets and for longer procedures. This allows us to have quick, available access to the circulatory system (blood) in case of an unforeseen emergency. The fluids help provide support to the circulatory system and prevent dehydration, as well as aid in a quicker recovery from anesthesia.

Potential Surgical Complications

1. Canine and Feline Spay - bleeding, infection, recurrent heat, urinary incontinence, weight gain (if food intake is not adjusted), and suture reactions
2. Canine and Feline Neuter - bleeding, infection, scrotal swelling, suture reaction
3. Feline Declaw - bleeding, infection, limping/lameness
4. Puppy Dewclaw Removal - bleeding, infection, limping/lameness, regrowth of nail
5. Tumor/Lump Removal - bleeding, infection, swelling and drainage, suture reaction

It is important for you to understand that there is always a risk of anesthetic and surgical complications anytime these procedures are performed. We strive to take the highest quality care of your pet and take all the added precautions you allow to avoid potential problems. Thank you for entrusting your pet to us.

PRE-ANESTHETIC BLOOD TESTING INFORMATION FORM

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Our greatest concern is the well being of your pet. Before putting your pet under anesthesia, we routinely perform a full physical examination.

We also highly recommend and sometimes require that a Pre-Anesthetic Blood Profile be performed on all pet’s undergoing anesthesia to maximize patient safety. The Pre-Anesthetic Blood Profile helps alert our surgeon to the presence of dehydration, anemia, infection, diabetes and/or kidney or liver disease that could complicate the procedure. These conditions may not be detected without a pre-anesthetic profile thus not allowing for the most appropriate and safest anesthetic regime to be administered. These tests are similar to those your own physician would run if you were to undergo anesthesia. In addition, these tests may be useful if your pet’s health changes to develop faster, more accurate diagnoses and treatments.

The Surgery Consent form you will sign on your pet’s surgery date will offer certain lab and microchipping options.

1. Complete blood count (CBC) and Pre-Anesthetic Profile (PAP) which includes:
   • CBC: PCV (anemia), white blood cell count (infection), red blood cell count (anemia/bleeding disorder), platelet count (clotting disorder)
   • Profile: BUN and creatinine (kidney), ALKP and ALT (liver), glucose (sugar), total protein (dehydration), and albumin (nutritional status)
2. Complete blood count (CBC) and Full Chemistry profile which includes:
   • CBC: same as above
   • Profile: elements of PAP profile plus amylase and lipase (pancreas), cholesterol, GGT (liver), total bilirubin (gallbladder), calcium and phosphorus (electrolytes)
3. Heartworm test which detects heartworms in your pet and alerts you and the doctor to possible heart failure.
4. FeLV/FIV test for cats only which detects Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (Feline AIDS). We highly recommend this test be performed on all feline patients. These are viruses for which no cure exists and can severely impact your cat’s health. If your pet goes outside, we recommend administering the Feline Leukemia vaccine as well.
5. Microchipping can be performed at any time, but many owners prefer to have it done at the time of surgery. We recommend microchips for all pets even if they do not go outside on a regular basis. Even indoor pets can accidentally escape or wander from the home. A registered microchip allows you to be reunited with your pet if they are found.

If the owner elects to decline the recommended pre-anesthetic blood tests at this time but requests that we proceed with the procedure, then this is indicated by NOT signing for the optional procedures. Please note that if the patient is in their senior years (above 8 years old) or is sick, a full blood work panel will be mandatory at the owner’s expense.

We realize surgery and anesthesia are scary for both owner and patient and we attempt to make surgery day as safe and comfortable for all involved. The physical examination and blood work done prior to any surgical procedure allows us to best minimize anesthetic and surgical risks and maximize patient safety. If you have any questions about the scheduled procedure, please do not hesitate to call us.