The Surgical Experience, by Dr. Jan Bellows

Posted by admin in Blogs by Dr. Jan Bellows on 09 29th, 2009 | no responses

It can be a frightening experience to know that your pet may one day need a surgical procedure in order to correct something.  If you have not encountered this before, you may be overwhelmed by the options or concerned about the safety. 

Veterinary medicine and surgical procedures have come a long way in the last twenty years, and many of the technological advances and options rival some of the human procedures.  New technology for human medicine has allowed advances in veterinary medicine.  For example, pets with cancer now have the option of chemotherapy.  Cats with diseased kidneys may have the choice of a kidney transplant, and blood transfusions are common place. 

There are two venues that surgical procedures take place in: the general veterinary practice and the specialty/emergency clinic.  Under most conditions, you will begin at the general practice level.  If your veterinarian feels your pet’s condition will be better served at a specialty clinic, he will refer you to one in the area.  Most general practice veterinarians handle more routine or common situations like bladder stone removal, spaying/neutering, etc.  Hip replacements, ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) knee repair surgeries, and fine detail/interior surgery work like correcting liver shunts is normally conducted in a specialty clinic. 

Specialty clinics do not perform routine general practice veterinarian care like vaccinations or checkups.  Instead, they are full of veterinarians that have advanced schooling and specialized residencies in things like internal care, heart, orthopedic surgeries, etc.  You know that your pet will receive the optimal care at a specialty facility.

These clinics often have a physical therapist on staff or are located near one.  Pet physical therapists are trained human physical therapists that have had additional schooling in pet therapy.  There, pets coming out of surgery can schedule physical therapy sessions tailored to their individual needs and may include things like an underwater treadmill, balance balls, rocker boards, stairs, and dog treadmill. 

Depending on what type of surgery your pet should have, there are a few considerations.  First, it is important to run at least a basic blood panel or CBC prior to any surgical procedure to insure your pet’s organs are functioning well.  It is especially imperative for an older pet.  Second, make sure you do your homework on the procedure, especially more complicated ones, to have a firm grasp on what it is.  You want to be comfortable with what it entails and know what questions to ask.  If you don’t like the bedside manner of one surgeon or would like a second opinion, feel free to seek one out.

In addition to knowing the surgery and getting necessary blood work prior to the procedure, it is important to know there are financial considerations.  All surgeries cost a considerable amount, and specialty or emergency work can range into the thousands.  Especially at the specialty level, there are usually options for payments through credit.  You may also ask your personal veterinarian if there are payment options, but often upfront payment through either credit or some other means is required. 

Most surgical procedures will require at least a one night stay at the clinic to insure your pet is recovering well.  More extensive procedures may require a longer stay of a few days.  All veterinarian clinics welcome you visiting your pet, so know that you may easily visit while your pet is staying there. 

In our time and day, there are many veterinary options for our pets.  While we can’t fix everything, we certainly have the choice to surgically correct many things that once were untreatable.  Just make sure to follow your veterinarian’s advice, have preliminary blood work run, and do your homework to make sure you know the ins and outs of any procedure going in.