Every pet owner stresses out when they have to take their animal for veterinary surgery. You want to ensure that your pet is as comfortable as possible for and after their surgery so they can recover properly. Your veterinarian ball handles all of the medical preparation, but there are still things you can do at home to get ready.
Please continue reading so that you can prepare for your pet’s upcoming surgery and minimize your stress.
Ask Your Vet About a Care Plan
When you find out your pet needs surgery, you need to talk with your veterinarian about what you can do to make things go as smoothly as possible. For example, your veterinarian might assign your dietary pet restrictions or require your dog to fast before surgery. Your animal might also need to reduce exercise before and after the surgery.
Ask your vet how long to expect aftercare accommodations, what you should feed your pet before and after surgery, and how to monitor the healing process to ensure nothing goes wrong. Then, your vet can walk you through a care plan to help you and your pet feel secure during this stressful time.
Be Open and Honest with Your Vet
You must let your vet know if you have any preexisting concerns about your pet’s diet or exercise before you find out they need surgery. Telling your bet everything you need to know about your animal’s health condition is the best way to make the surgery go smoothly. Keep your communication with your veterinarian as open and honest as possible for great results.
You should also alert your veterinarian if your pet has any behavioral problems that could be a concern before the surgery. Providing as much information to your veterinarian about behavior will create a safe environment for everybody involved in the situation.
Prepare a Quiet Area for Your Pet
After your veterinary surgery, your pet needs a safe place to rest without outside disturbances. For example, if you have children or other animals, you should create a space for your pet where they won’t have to worry about intruders. Provide as much peace and safety as possible so that the healing process goes smoothly.
Stress and environmental concerns are the number one cause of healing problems post-surgery. If you can minimize those concerns as much as possible, you give the healing process a chance to thrive instead of sabotaging it. You can set up barriers like a baby gate if you don’t have a closed-off room to provide during this time.
Load up the secure area with comfortable blankets and pillows to make your pet feel comforted while they heal. You should expect some pain after the surgery, but your vet will prescribe medication to combat this problem, and keeping comfortable items around your pet will also minimize the situation.
Set Time Aside to Monitor Your Pet
Your veterinarian will tell you what you need to do to care for your pet after its surgery. Depending on the surgery, you might have to monitor your pet’s food, water, and exercise for a few weeks. Unfortunately, these tasks can get in the way of your daily life, so you should set up time intervals, or you can check up on your pet frequently.
If you live with other people, you should also inform them of your pet’s surgery and try working out a plan to monitor them while they heal. If you and the other household inhabitants can work together, you set your animal up for success. You can also keep a log or chore list so that any problems can be noted and reported to your veterinarian.
Talk to your vet about any abnormal behavior you should expect after the surgery and any behavior you need to report to them. Watching your pet and reporting the problems right away is the best way to keep your pet’s wounds closed. For example, excessive licking of their stitches might mean you need to invest in a cone, so they don’t reopen the area.
Pick a Vet You Can Trust
To maximize your Peace of Mind before your veterinary surgery, you must visit a veterinarian you can trust. A trustworthy veterinarian will walk you through the process and answer any concerns you have about the situation.
Contact us at (520) 297-3593 today to set up a consultation and a care plan for your dog’s veterinary surgery or discuss if your dog needs surgery. We will guide you through this stressful time with your companion.
