Surgical Options
for Your
The well-being of your pet is important when
undergoing anesthesia for any procedure. Although
there is some risk to your pet regardless of age or
complexity of the surgery, your veterinarian can use
many tools to keep your pet safe.
Prior to anesthesia, the doctor can review health
history that may include information such as allergies,
reactions to medications, or illness’ that will aid in
making decisions regarding the safest drugs to choose
for your pet. A physical exam will also be performed
prior to the procedure to assess your pet’s current
condition and eliminate any surprises that could affect
the surgery. Other options your veterinarian may
require or offer I will discuss below to help you make a
well-informed decision for your pet.
Presurgical/Preanesthetic bloodwork —
Doctors use blood analysis to assess the unseen
processes that are going on inside your pet. For example
you can’t look at a pet or a person and tell if they are
anemic or if their organs are functioning properly. Your
veterinarian needs to know if your pet is healthy enough
for surgery and there are times that your pet may not be
showing any external signs to indicate disease or if he or
she is healthy enough to undergo surgery or process the
anesthetic drugs. Blood screening would include:
A complete blood count (CBC) is used to rule out
blood-related conditions such as anemia, clotting
problems, or inability to fight infection. It is very
important to have a normal red blood cell count and the
ability to clot when getting any surgical procedure in
order to minimize blood loss. A healthy immune system
is also important to eliminate risk of post op infection.
Chemistry test to evaluate kidney and liver function
which are organs that need to function optimally in
order to process anesthetic drugs. Chemistry tests can
also screen for other conditions such as diabetes that
could be a hiding and that would need to be under
www.metropetmag.com | St. Louis - September 2014
Pet
by Erin Quigley, DVM
control before any elective procedure should take place.
Electrolyte test to ensure your pet is not dehydrated or
suffering from an electrolyte imbalance. If dehydration
is present this could be corrected within the time prior
to the start of surgery.
Your pet’s doctor may perform a test that includes a
few critical values or may include all of the above tests
depending on your pet’s age, health history, or risk of
surgery. Your veterinarian’s goal is to greatly minimize
risk of surgery and make the best plan to keep your
pet safe, and bloodwork plays a huge role in giving
critical information regarding safety and can give much
reassurance to your doctor and you regarding your pets
health.
Laser surgery — A surgical Laser is an advanced
cutting tool that has been available in veterinary
medicine for approximately 10 years. It is a device
that uses a powerful and concentrated beam of light
to incise skin and make surgical cuts in substitute of a
surgical blade. It has been shown to greatly minimize
bleeding and inflammation at the surgery site. This
not only makes the surgical procedure a simpler one,
but it usually minimizes surgical time and anesthetic
required for your pet. The recovery for your pet is
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vastly improved particularly in surgeries such as mass
removals and feline declaws versus the traditional scalpel.
Why? Less pain due to greatly reduced inflammation
of tissue, this helps your pet return to his/her normal
routine quicker. Less inflammation also helps to decrease
irritation, which may eliminate your pet licking or
chewing at the incision that usually leads to infection.
Many veterinary clinics utilize this technology. Many will
not give an option regarding usage for example in feline
declaws because of the vast benefits. For other procedures
they may offer it as an elective for usually a minimal fee.
Post op pain medications — Pain meds after a surgical
procedure sounds like a no brainer. But only in the last
15 -20 years has veterinary medicine acknowledged that
animals suffer pain as humans do. Instinctually dogs
and cats do a very good job at hiding their pain. But
just because they hide their pain, does not mean they
do not feel it. They have a very similar nervous system
and pain receptors as humans. It is easy to forget that a
dog who had a ‘spay’, which is an ovariohysterectomy
(yes a procedure that women have) would desire pain
medication after the procedure just as we would. Your
veterinarian will include a pain injection with their
surgical cost so that your pet recovers from surgery that
day with little to no discomfort. What you may be offered
for your pet is pain medicine for the few days following
the procedure which is usually sufficient and comes
at a minimal cost. Your veterinarian will prescribe pet
specific pain medicine dosed safely for your pet’s size.
Pain medication in animals is vastly different from human
medications and even varies between dogs and cats. They
are much more sensitive to anti-inflammatory drugs, but
you can trust your veterinarian to make the right decision
regarding your pet’s pain free recovery.
There are a couple more options you
may be asked when dropping off your
pet for their surgical procedure that
have more to do with safety then
the actual procedure itself.
Microchip — Microchips
are identification implants
about the size of a grain
of rice that are used to
help reunite a pet to their
family when he/she has
been lost. They are offered
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MetroPet Magazine | St. Louis - September 2014
many times at the time of a puppy or kitten’s spay/neuter
procedure. Although they can be given at any time of life,
they are offered at this stage for convenience and so the
growing pet can be asleep at the time of injection due to
the large bore needle. Know that dogs and cats handle
this simple procedure very well even when awake, but the
option is there for you to choose the time of their elective
procedure.
E-Collar/Cone — Elizabethan Collars or commonly
known as the cone of shame, may look silly but they
come in handy at preventing your pet from causing
infection to their incision or even worse chewing their
incision open. Many clients are reluctant to put their pet
through the humiliation but it will give peace of mind
when it comes to opening up an incision and having to
go to the emergency clinic at 2 am on a weekend. Most
serious is abdominal incisions such as from a spay, could
open up and cause the abdominal organs to herniate
through. This is something no one wants to go through.
My intention isn’t to scare you, just to inform you of the
risks. At minimum I would recommend an E-Collar to
be purchased and used at least when you cannot directly
supervise your pet such as when you are asleep or not at
home. Your veterinary staff can properly fit your pet with
the right sized cone before leaving the hospital the day of
the surgery.
Other services that many veterinarians include in your
pet’s surgery are:
Constant surgical monitoring by a trained surgical
nurse/technician — Your pet’s nurse will constantly
monitor your pets breathing, heart rate, depth of
anesthesia, blood perfusion, and hydration.
Electronic monitoring — There are instruments your
veterinarian may have to aid the surgical nurse in
monitoring heart rate and rhythm, oxygenation,
and blood pressure.
IV catheterization — Your veterinary
surgical team has venous access to your
pet to administer anesthetic drugs or
emergency drugs if needed for change
in heart rate and fluids for
maintenance of proper blood
pressure.
Intubation — This is a tube
that is placed down your pet’s trachea
that allows gas anesthetic to keep your pet
asleep during the procedure. It also supplies oxygen
to your pet and can help the surgical nurse control the
proper respiratory rate (breathing). In an emergency
(if your pet would stop breathing) it is critical to have
the breathing tube placed to maintain breathing and
administer emergency drugs.
Sterile surgical instruments/Antibiotic injection —
sterile procedures are performed to prevent infection
from surgery.
Recovery — Even after the procedure is performed
your pet is monitored to make sure they are recovering
properly. Breathing, heart rate, temperature and
comfort are all important factors and much care is
given to your pet so all goes well before they go home.
As you can see a spay is not just a spay and a neuter
is not just a neuter. Much training, planning and care
go into making sure you pet has the safest, pain free,
successful procedure so he or she can get back to their
happy home. Next time you have to make the decision
in choosing to have a surgery performed on your pet,
know that your veterinarian has the tools to keep your
pet safe and now you have the knowledge to help them
to do so.
Erin Quigley, DVM, Member
of AVMA, MVMA, grew
up in Florissant, MO, and
received a Bachelor’s degree
in Biology at Missouri State
University. After college I
worked as a receptionist at
Rock Road Animal Hospital, a
zookeeper at the St. Louis Zoo
and a veterinary assistant
at Howdershell Animal Hospital until attending
Veterinary School at University of Missouri-Columbia.
I graduated with my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine
and have lived in O’Fallon, Missouri since I graduated.
I have worked as a veterinarian in Troy, Wentzville,
and Florissant, MO, until purchasing Animal Medical
Center of Wentzville in 2010. I married in 2011 and
live with my husband Ryan and boxer dog Finnegan
in Lake St. Louis/O’Fallon. When my husband and
I have free time from the clinic we enjoy spending
time with our dog, family and friends. Our hobbies
include attending Cardinal baseball and Mizzou
football games. We also enjoy the outdoors biking,
boating and horseback riding.
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