That would depend on the type of surgery done. Most patients here at the Animal Hospital of Statesville go home the same day because we are not open 24 hours, and we are not here overnight. So most of the time we want them to go back home in the afternoon. So we'll monitor them after surgery for a few hours and then send them home later in the afternoon.

Yes, we generally require fasting for surgery. Usually, that's after midnight. We recommend that you don't feed them if they're having surgery the next morning. Water's fine.

At home, you can go ahead and prepare a place where they're going to recover. You can go ahead and get that ready. You can also work on the type of food that they may need to eat after surgery if it's special food. So you want to get all of that stuff done ahead of time so that when you bring your pet home, you're able to spend time and monitor your pet.

When you should bring your dog in for grooming depends on the breed. So if you want your dog's hair trimmed, of course, we need them to see the groomer who can do a full-body clip or even just a more thorough brushing for them. And again, some dogs never need to go to the groomer. You can do it yourself, or we can help you with the bathing, but if they need their hair trimmed, then they need to go to the groomer.

So, scooting or dragging the butt, what they're trying to tell you is there's a problem back there. Most likely, it's their anal glands. So dogs have scent glands down by their anus. There are two of them, right and left, and they should be able to express those glands with a bowel movement. And most owners don't even know they have these glands because they poop outside. You never smell that smell. But if they're too full, they cause pressure on the anus, and it's irritating for the dog. So the dog will drag their butt, and they'll turn around and lick. Sometimes they'll even cry out during a bowel movement because of that pressure back there. So they're trying to tell you their butt hurts, and they need to get to the vet. So, you bring them in, and we'll help express the glands and make sure everything's clean and normal back there.

It's important to have your dog’s nails trimmed because they continually grow. Some dogs will kind of chew on them, but that's rare. A lot of dogs will wear them down with activity. So a dog that's less mobile or more sedentary is going to have nails that grow faster. That's just because they're not being worn down. And then the dewclaws, the tiny thumbnails, those never touch the ground. So those definitely need to be trimmed in all dogs. Some dogs have them on the rear feet, but mostly the front feet. So yes, nail trimming is important because the nails can grow all the way around and cause a problem for them.

Try to make it positive. Starting when they're young is important, but if you've got an older dog and you're just getting them going, you want to make it short. So, you don't have to do everything that first time—work on the nails at first or just work on some brushing. And you might only be able to brush one part of the dog that day and then give them a break. Then the next day, you come back and work on another area if they're really matted. This is where professional groomers come in too. They're going to be more efficient than you. They're going to have the right tools. So if it's a really matted pet, that's where the groomer can help you.