Have a conversation and a visit with your veterinarian in preparation for the surgery to know what we're getting into. But with the majority of our cat surgeries, we're going to want to have them fasted before the procedure, so no food in frequent proximity before the procedure. We want them fasted overnight, so no breakfast on the day of. Getting your cat into a carrier or being used to being in their carrier is essential so that they can travel safely to the Drake Center.

So depending on the procedure, the post-surgery pain medication will be dispensed. The majority of our surgical procedures go home with pain medication. Dogs that have had spays, neuters, wound repairs, and mass removals will go home with pain medication. With dental cleanings, they don't always need them afterward. And those will be discussed with you both before and after the procedure.

So there is a little bit of variability with that, depending on the procedure that they've had. Most dogs can resume eating the night of their procedure. Sometimes we will alter the volume or the type of food they're eating, and activity level is a bit variable. Many of our dental procedure patients can return to their normal activity level the following day, versus some of our soft tissue surgeries that will require waiting about a week to 10 days before we let them do much physical activity.

So all of our canine patients will go home with some written discharge instructions, and your veterinarian, or one of their assistants, will go over those instructions beforehand. The majority of our post-op cases go home with some pain medications, antibiotics, and so all of the instructions will be given out with those. Most of these dogs need some rest or activity restriction for a while, as well as a cone or an E-collar to wear during their recovery. So the instructions with that are essential to not only have, but also to refer back to.

Most of our patients will be dismissed in the late afternoon or early evening on the day of their procedure. Their go-home time will be discussed with you when the doctor gives you a call about their procedure once they're in recovery.

So some of the best things that you can do at home are to have had your pre-surgical exam with your veterinarian so that you know what to anticipate coming into the surgery. Also, you should have fasted your dog, not giving them food, the morning of the procedure. Those are some of the most important things. And hopefully, you have them willing to get in the car the morning of their procedure.

Great question. Sometimes we need to use sedatives or an anti-anxiety medication when dogs with behavior problems come here for their grooming or nail trims. The dog should be sedated versus to be struggling and potentially bite somebody. We don't want it to be a stressful experience for them. We want it to be pleasant, just like we wouldn't want to be stressed going to get our hair cut or something like that. So you'd have to talk with your vet about that and decide what's necessary or what would be recommended to take the edge off for some patients. Not everybody's going to need that. But you'd have to talk with your vet and your groomer about what the dog is doing. So are they trying to bite? Are they just really fearful? Are they wiggly? And then, we can make a plan on what would be best for that pet.

I think all groomers around here do require vaccines. You would have to ask your specific groomer about their protocol, but we’d definitely recommend it because they will be around other dogs and cats. Whether they're in a cage or whether it's more of a cage-free environment, they're still going to have interaction. They're still going to be breathing the same air. So yes, it's recommended. As far as flea control goes, of course, we always recommend all pets be on flea control year-round. Where we live in San Diego, it's just flea time. We see it all the time. So we recommend that they be on it year-round. Again, I don't think it's required in a lot of places but recommended.

That depends on the dog, but also you. So if you have a bad back or you have trouble getting the pet in and out of the tub, of course, I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself doing it at home. But if you have the supplies, you feel comfortable doing it; you know what you're doing; I think it's OK to do the bathing at home. That's what I do for my dogs. But if you have a certain breed that requires haircutting, you need to go to a groomer. Because obviously, they're trained to do that. They have the right equipment. One thing I do want to mention for sure is you never, ever want to use scissors on your pet at home. I've seen a lot of pets come in with cuts on their skin, especially cats. Their skin is just so thin and you don't realize that you're pulling up on it to cut out a mat. Just never, ever use scissors. It's just really scary. And sometimes, I have to put stitches in these cats. So be careful.

I would say no unless your dog has very sensitive skin. You can cause irritations if you're using harsh shampoos or leave on conditioners. I have seen a few dogs have a reaction to certain types of shampoos. And if you're doing it so often that you might dry out their coat, I guess so. I really haven't seen that. It's a lot of work to bathe the dogs, so I don't typically see people overdoing it. But just use your best judgment. If you feel like the coat's looking dry and flaky, you might want to cut back a little bit.