After your cat has had surgery, there will be aftercare instructions that will go home with you. We will go over those discharge instructions with you in an exam room. Often a pet nurse, especially the one that's usually involved in the care of that cat, will go over those instructions with you, make sure you understand them, and have you sign consent that you received those instructions. We also have an aftercare telehealth app, so-called Anapanion, which you can use to reach out to us with questions after you take your cat home.

If your cat is having any type of real surgical procedure, we are going to intubate them. Intubation is when we take an endotracheal tube and put it down into their tracheas, through their mouth. This allows us to control their oxygen levels, their breathing, and protect their airway from secretion.

Your questions about cat surgery really involve what type of surgery your pet's going to have. If your cat is going to have a neuter or maybe a spay, you're going to want to ask what are the aftercare instructions, do I have any wound care that I need to do, what do I need to watch for regarding that surgical site? If your cat is having anesthesia and surgery for dental health issues, then you want to know what kinds of foods they can eat and how to take care of their teeth afterwards. The kind of questions you ask will depend on what type of surgery your cat is going to have. Your veterinarian will give you specific aftercare instructions on how to take care of them at home.

Anesthesia would not be necessary if we did not need the dog to become unconscious. We determine this based on what we want to do for the pet and how much pain the procedure will inflict. Sometimes we can get away with just giving an older dog with multiple health issues a sedative and numbing the area up. Other times, like when we're doing dental work, we absolutely require them to go under general anesthesia to protect their airway.

We understand that anesthesia is a big worry for pet parents. At Blue Oasis, we allow you to stay with your pet before, during, and after the procedure. If you have any specific questions regarding your dog and anesthesia, we invite you to schedule an appointment with us.

Yes, if your dog has had any kind of side effects from general anesthesia in the past, we would want to know about it. Certain dogs also have different risk factors. For instance, sight hounds like greyhounds, border collies with an MDR1 gene recession mutation, and old English Bulldogs with smushy faces have higher risks associated with general anesthesia.

General anesthesia in dogs carries several risks including an uncontrolled airway, abnormal heart rate and rhythm, getting too cold, and the blood pressure risk of dropping too low. At Blue Oasis, we take measures to mitigate these risks such as intubating dogs, using medications to keep their heart rates up, performing ECGs, using a hot dog blanket, and blood pressure monitors. We also use IV catheters and IV fluids during the procedure to help with kidney function and perfusion.

We recommend not giving a full dinner immediately after surgery to avoid nausea or vomiting. Start with a small meal, and if they hold it down, you can feed them a bit more. If they've had oral surgery, soften their kibble with water or broth, or feed them canned food for several days up to a week after surgery.

Yes, they may not be able to get out of the car or navigate stairs easily. It's ideal to keep them on the floor and under direct supervision. Other pets and children should be calm around them.

Ensure a calm, quiet environment for your dog, with the temperature regulated depending on the season. Avoid feeding them immediately, and supervise them closely. The recovery process is individual for each pet and we'll guide you through it.

After anesthesia, your dog may feel woozy or tired, may not be able to walk in a straight line as easily, and may want to pace around a bit. It's important to watch for certain signs, which we will detail for you. You can get a hold of the healthcare team here on an app that we have called Anna Panyon for after hours questions that you might have.