If your pet is undergoing any type of veterinary surgical services—be it a common spay or neuter or a more complicated procedure—you should ask about certain things. Your pet's veterinarian will likely have some recommendations for care during surgery, but many of these suggestions are optional and you may not know what to do.
Here are some concerns to ask about before having veterinary surgical services done for your pet. You can use these questions to help you come up with others so you feel more in control and aware of what your pet needs and what you can do for them as their owner.
Pain medication
Some vets include pain medication as part of their veterinary surgical services and even give their patients pain medication during their surgeries so owners don't have to worry about administering pills or pain meds later. Ask your pet's vet if they offer pain meds, and if so, if they are included in the cost of their surgical procedure or if they cost extra so you can budget accordingly.
IV drip
Vets usually recommend having a shaved area for your pet to have an IV ready to go in the event they need it, but they may or may not use the IV drip for saline or hydration. Pets often wake up from anesthesia better if they are hydrated, especially if they are undergoing a procedure that will cause them to be asleep for a while during their operation. Ask your vet if an IV drip is necessary and what it costs as part of your pet's veterinary surgical services.
Blood work
Is your pet older or does it have preexisting health issues? Has your pet had complications with anesthesia before, or breathing problems? Ask your pet's vet if they can do a blood workup on your pet before surgery so potential health risks can be hopefully caught beforehand. Blood work can be especially beneficial for your pet if they are older or inbred.
Overnight care
Sometimes vets like their patients brought the night before a morning surgery so they can monitor whether the pet has gotten food and water or been restricted as directed. If you're worried about your pet needing overnight care either before or after any veterinary surgical services, let your pet's vet know. Odds are, you can take your pet home with you the same day if there are no major issues with the surgery, or you can request your pet to be kept overnight for observation if it makes you more comfortable to do so.
