Veterinary Services
Pet Dentistry
Oral health is a very important part of your pet’s overall well-being.
What to Expect on Procedure Day
Your pet has been scheduled for an anesthetic procedure. Here’s what to expect that day.
Fasting
Your pet should be fasted overnight the night before the procedure—no food after midnight. Please provide water at all times.
Surgery Admission Time
A drop-off appointment for surgery will be scheduled at 7:30 am. Please plan to be here for about 10 minutes for your pet’s surgery admission. We will go over important paperwork, including consent forms and estimates, at that time. If you are not the one dropping off your pet, please have paperwork filled out ahead of time. We can send this information to you via email, or it can be filled out in person prior to the scheduled day.
Procedure Time
We do not schedule the order of procedures until that morning. We decide who will go first based on age, illness, and several other factors. In general, our first procedure starts at 8:30 am, and the last procedure usually starts around 12:30 pm.
Discharge
When you drop off your pet in the morning, you will be given a discharge time. When you arrive at the clinic for your pet’s discharge, a nurse will go over detailed instructions for home care and medications. The nurse will answer any questions you have at this time. If your pet needs to come back for a recheck, we will schedule the appointment at this time.
Payment Options
Payment is due at the time of service. We do not offer payment plans. We accept all major credit cards, cash, or Care Credit. We do not accept checks. If paying with Care Credit, you must provide two forms of I.D. This is Care Credit’s policy. Forms of I.D. must be a driver’s license or state I.D. and another credit/debit card with your name on it. The second card’s number will not be recorded. They only ask for the cardholder’s name, the expiration, and the type of card to be recorded. A spouse cannot bring a card in for you. The cardholder must be present at the time of the transaction. If you cannot be the one here at discharge, you may make special arrangements with us to collect payment prior to discharge.
Walks (Dogs Only)
Please walk your dog normally and/or encourage your dog to relieve themselves the morning of the procedure. Ideally, your dog should have a bowel movement in the morning prior to anesthesia.
Pre-Procedure Prep
After your pet is admitted to the hospital, an exam will be performed, and vitals will be taken. Your pet will have an IV placed in their front leg. If your pet hasn’t yet had pre-anesthetic lab work performed, we will collect a blood sample to analyze at this time. Your pet will then rest in a comfortable, quiet area until it is their turn for their procedure.
Recovery
After your pet’s procedure, he or she will be moved into recovery. During this time, a nurse monitors your pet carefully until he or she is fully recovered. Once your pet is fully recovered, the doctor will call you and let you know your pet is awake and that the procedure went well. At this time, dogs will be offered food and will have a short walk outside. Cats will receive food and a litterbox. All pets will be kept comfortable and tended to until they go home.
Contact
It is absolutely imperative that you are able to be reached while your pet is at the hospital. The doctor may need to contact you while your pet is under anesthesia. When you drop off your pet, we will ask you for the best contact number. Please be available at this number in case of emergency and so that the doctor can let you know when your pet is awake from anesthesia.