We recommend all pets undergoing surgery have supplemental screening. These screenings allow us to check for abnormal heart rhythms and metabolic diseases. If any abnormalities are found, we may alter or delay anesthesia until the problem is corrected. These tests are similar to the screenings routinely performed in human medicine.
Pre-Surgical Blood Work
Your pet needs surgery or a dental procedure and you’re worried about so many things – Will my pet do okay in his surgery/dental procedure? Will he be painful? Will he miss me? The answer to the last question is definitely yes! Will he be painful? All surgery involves some discomfort. However, we take precautions to help your pet deal with any pain he might be feeling by giving him a post surgical pain management injection and, in some cases, sending home pain medication to help him deal with any continuing discomfort he might have. The answer to the first question, will my pet do okay in surgery, is, in part, up to you. Before surgical procedures, your doctor will likely recommend pre-surgical bloodwork. The older the dog, the more comprehensive the blood work is likely to be. You see, we can look at your pet, and, from the outside, everything looks great! But INSIDE your pet is something we can’t see. Sure, there are some signs of disease or issues on the outside in mid-or late-stage disease, but early signs are hidden in the inside of your pet. Your young pet might have issues which might affect how he wakes up from surgery. We can’t always tell from the outside. That is why pre-surgical bloodwork is highly recommended and is an option we always include in your pet’s treatment plan. By evaluating the blood work, your doctor can make a more informed decision on whether surgery is the best option, or whether treatment of a discovered condition needs to be done before your pet’s surgery. Sometimes, the doctor will find an issue that will make it undesirable for your pet to undergo anesthesia, and they will decide NOT to do the surgery at that time.
You want your pet to be healthy and happy. We provide the tools to help you make the decisions that will make that happen. Presurgical blood work is one of those tools that will help us provide the safest procedures possible for your pet, whatever their age.