Pet Anesthesia
Anesthesia is a critical piece of your pet’s surgical experience. Our pre-anesthetic patient evaluation is designed to enhance your pet’s safety during surgery and includes a physical exam, medical history review, and laboratory testing.
We have a variety of modern anesthesia options available for every patient type and use aggressive monitoring throughout the procedure for the safest surgical experience possible for your pet.
Pain Management
Pain can adversely affect the body’s ability to heal, so all Redwood veterinarians take pain management very seriously. Whether from post-operative pain, recovery from injury, or in chronic conditions such as arthritis, patient comfort is a top priority.
Before and after surgery, each patient is given pain control medication on-site. In addition, you take your pet home with the appropriate analgesic to block pain during the recovery process. Our aggressive pain management program is based on the principle that no pet should ever suffer needlessly.
Skilled surgeons, safety throughout, and a commitment to humane care—Redwood Veterinary Hospital sets the standard for a quality surgical experience for your small animal companions.
While all of our veterinarians are general surgeons, Dr. John Huebner holds a special interest in both general and orthopedic surgery and Dr. Genever Fox is particularly interested in soft tissue surgery. For the veterinary surgeon that most closely meets your pet’s needs, contact Redwood Veterinary Hospital today.
Surgery Instructions
Download and complete the following forms prior to your pet’s surgical procedure. The “Instructions” document contains important information about preparing for your pet’s upcoming procedure.
If your pet requires sedation for a scheduled procedure, download and complete the following form to submit at the time of admission. Please read the “Instructions” document as well for pertinent information regarding preparation for your pet’s upcoming procedure.
You may be planning, or have already scheduled, to have your pet admitted for a medical procedure (such as surgery, x-rays, bandaging, ear treatments, and so on). Please read the following information carefully before the scheduled procedure.
Setting a Date
If you haven’t already done so, call Redwood Veterinary Hospital at 707-553-1400 to make an appointment for the procedure. Redwood Veterinary Hospital is very popular, so appointments are required. When you make your appointment, keep in mind that on most weekdays we admit patients between 7:00 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. The admission period may vary from time to time depending on staffing and doctor availability. If your pet is to be admitted on a day when the admission period is different, a Redwood Veterinary Hospital team member will call you to advise you of the change.
Pre-Anesthetic and/or Pre-Sedation Blood Testing
Pre-anesthetic blood testing is recommended for all surgical patients. If your pet is scheduled for a procedure requiring sedation, your pet’s doctor may recommend pre-sedation blood tests to assure the safest possible sedation experience for your pet. This is not done with every sedation case, so your pet’s doctor will advise you if this is necessary. If the doctor has recommended pre-anesthesia/sedation blood testing, we request that if possible, you arrange to bring your pet in sometime before the scheduled procedure date for a nurse to draw the small blood sample. By doing any necessary testing ahead of time, we can focus on getting started with your pet’s procedure earlier, instead of waiting for results from our in-house lab. Additionally, because lab tests run ahead of time help us to work more efficiently, we will extend a small discount on the cost of these blood tests to you if they are run before the day of the procedure. (If it is not possible for you to have these tests run prior to the scheduled day of the procedure, we would be happy to run them the morning of the procedure at the regular price.)
The Night Before
You should try to keep your normal routine the night before the planned procedure. This would include normal levels of activity and diet. Most sedation procedures for dogs and cats require that the pet be fasted (no food) for the 12 hours prior to the procedure. Usually, we recommend simply picking up the food bowl at bedtime the night before. Do not restrict water! Your pet should have free access to water up until you leave to come in the day of the procedure. If your pet requires any special preparation prior to his or her procedure, the doctor or nurse will let you know well in advance.
Admission
As noted above, on most weekdays we admit surgical and procedural patients between 7 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. In most cases, admitting your pet to the hospital will take about 15–30 minutes. You will be asked to review and sign a brief admission form authorizing the hospital to proceed with the planned procedure.
The doctor or chief surgical nurse will want to personally admit your pet. This way, he or she can answer any questions and be sure all the necessary plans are in order. In some cases, patients can be admitted the night before their scheduled procedure date. If you would prefer to admit your pet the night before, please arrange this when making your appointment.
Please feel free to call and talk with one of our health care team members at 707-553-1400 if you have any questions about your pet’s upcoming procedure.
Choose Redwood Veterinary Hospital for excellence in small animal health care.
