What is your pre-surgical policy?

No food after 9:00pm the night before surgery, water is OK until morning, take it away when you get up. Presurgical blood tests are mandatory in patients over 7. In younger patients they may be waived by written consent, though we don’t recommend this, as it is safest to have blood values on all patients. Surgery drop off is between 7:30 – 8:00 am.

Will my pet have to stay overnight when having a surgical procedure?

Almost all patients are able to return home in the afternoon after surgery, depending on the procedure. Patients requiring monitoring and care after hours are sometimes transferred to the Animal ER of San Diego, though this is rarely necessary. Doctors will discuss all options with you prior to any transfer.

We do not have someone continuously on the premises after hours. We do have an alarm system that is monitored 24/7 for fire, smoke and illegal entry.

How long are surgeries?

Surgery times can vary depending on the procedure being done, though we generally estimate for about an hour. Recovery times can vary from patient to patient with most up and awake not long after surgery.

Why would I need a histopathology?

If something doesn’t look normal or is suspicious to the doctor, they may ask to run a histopath. This way we can send a sample to a laboratory to make sure something isn’t cancerous. This can often be recommended when removing a growth to make sure that it’s nothing to worry about.

Why do I need an e-collar? Can’t I just watch my dog?

You can’t watch your dog 24/7 and even if they act perfectly fine around you, they are extremely likely to lick or bite at their sutures the moment you are away or asleep. Licking at their surgery site can lead to infection and if they pull out a stitch it can lead to a costly anesthetic to re-suture.  For their safety and your wallet, please leave their cone on until all sutures have been removed.

Is anesthesia safe for my pet?

We use very high quality anesthetics in our clinic as well as monitoring devices the entire time your pet is undergoing a procedure and a dedicated monitoring technician. Our doctors will preform a pre-surgical evaluation of your pet to evaluate the risk level your pet would pose to anesthesia. The vast majority of animals we see are perfectly fine for procedures, even most of our geriatric patients! We routinely see pets in their teens coming in for dental cleanings and recovering very well afterward.

Do you perform ear cropping/tail docking or cat declawing?

No, we do not generally provide ear cropping or tail docking services. Cat declawing is only done under certain circumstances when it is deemed necessary, otherwise we would highly recommend a behavior consultation.