Yes, you can give aspirin to your dog. However, aspirin has a very narrow safety margin in dogs and is toxic in cats. The risk of serious side effects is high, so I never recommend aspirin for dogs.

Yes, you do. Always call and make sure that what you're giving is appropriate for your dog so we don't make a bigger problem.

The effectiveness of the surgery depends on the procedure. In most cases, surgery will fix the problem. However, there are risks and complications, so it's not always 100% effective. In cases where we can't completely remove a tumor, the surgery will buy us time but may not be a complete cure. Procedures like toe or tail amputations, or removing bladder stones or intestinal blockages are typically curative.

During surgery, the dog is under anesthesia and won't feel anything. Post-op, there may be some discomfort, but we put a lot of effort into multimodal pain control, including local nerve blocks, incisional blocks, anti-inflammatory injections, and oral meds to alleviate that discomfort.

We use text messaging, pictures, and phone calls to communicate with you. If there's a problem during the procedure, I will call you directly. However, most of the time, the technicians will be communicating with you.

Yes, for major procedures where we need to protect the airway, intubation is performed. This is where we place a breathing tube called an endotracheal tube down the trachea and inflate a cuff to protect their airway.

Yes, your dog will be under general anesthesia during major surgeries. This ensures they won't feel anything during the procedure.

If you feel nervous or scared about the procedure or anesthesia, address these concerns. Ask questions about recovery time, when your pet might be ready to go home, and whether we need an e-collar or a surgery suit. Any question you have about the surgery should be asked before the procedure.

You should expect a phone call the day before the surgery explaining the pre-surgery instructions such as not feeding your dog after nine o'clock, water is fine, and not to feed breakfast the morning of. Our drop-off for surgery time is 8 a.m. You should also expect communications throughout the day about the progress of the surgery, when your pet is in recovery, and the appropriate pickup time. We will also provide a discharge that goes home explaining post-op pain medications, what to look out for, and how to help care for your pet after anesthesia.