Surgery

Our veterinarians adhere to the highest level of care standards for all surgical procedures. Our highly skilled doctors place the utmost emphasis on pain management, to ensure your pet is safe and comfortable throughout the treatment process.  Using advanced technology, your pet's vital signs are monitored by our well trained veterinary technicians, who will remain with your pet through recovery. 

 After performing a complete examination and reviewing your pet's medical state, we will discuss treatment options that may include surgery.  We will put together a plan that best suits the needs of both you and your pet.

If surgery is recommended, you may feel comfortable knowing that our doctors will provide appropriate pain relief so that pain is identified and treated, if present.  You can also feel comfortable knowing that our hospital only administers anesthesia in the utmost safe and cautious manner. Your pet's vital signs are monitored during general anesthesia and continuously throughout the surgical process.  Our trained surgical technicians monitor vital signs including: oxygen level in the blood, ECG/EKG, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, carbon dioxide level, temperature and pain.  

All of our surgery patients have an IV catheter in place and receive intravenous  fluids throughout the procedure and during the postoperative recovery period.  The IV fluids will keep your pet well hydrated and help maintain normal blood pressure while under anesthesia.  Additionally, the IV catheter will act as a direct line and allow us to administer emergency medications quickly, if needed.

A technician is present during the entire surgery and recovery process to maintain the safety and comfort of your pet.  We believe that keeping our patients safe and comfortable before, during, and after surgery is of the greatest importance and en essential component of your pet's care.

Prior to the time of a surgical procedure we will need to perform pre-surgical blood tests and ECG/EKG.  These tests  provide a vital check on the health of a patient and determine whether or not your pet is an appropriate candidate for surgery.will check testing allows us to diagnose and treat previously undetected medical problems and also can assist us in determining the appropriate anesthetic.  Depending on the urgency of the condition, abnormalities are addressed, drug selections modified and, in some cases, surgeries may be delayed or even cancelled if the veterinarian deems necessary. These procedures are highly recommended whenever a pet goes under anesthesia.

We use advanced pain management techniques in conjunction with anesthesia to make sure your pet is as comfortable as possible during the procedure and after they are discharged. Most surgery patients receive two or three different kinds of injectable pain medications during the procedure and go home with oral pain medication.  We perform local anesthetic blocks any time an incision is made and we perform oral nerve blocks if teeth are removed during a dental procedure.  We use constant rate IV infusions of pain medication for more severe pain.  We also treat your pet's surgical site with a therapeutic laser to reduce inflammation and speed up healing time.  We tailor the pain management plan to the needs of the patient.

At Ahwatukee Animal care Hospital we offer surgery appointments Monday through Friday, by appointment.

Adding Procedures and/or Secondary Surgeries

We understand that some pets can present difficult behavior for certain procedures; therefore, if you would like to add an ear cleaning or nail trim while your pet is asleep, we would be happy to accommodate.  Additionally, if you would like to have secondary procedures performed, such as x-rays, dental cleaning, or growth removal (procedures which require anesthesia), please discuss your desires with the doctor and we may be able to add that procedure to your pet's surgery.

Emergency Surgery    

There are some circumstances in which surgery cannot wait.  While these situations may be frightening for an owner, you may trust the experienced doctors and technicians at Ahwatukee Animal Care Hospital to perform at their best.

Emergency situations that may result in surgery include:  gastrointestinal problems such as "bloat" and foreign body blockages, trouble during labor, inability to urinate, and open/bleeding wounds.

If you believe your pet is having an emergency, please call us at 480 893-0533.

** If outside of our office hours, please call First Pet Emergency Animal Hospital for emergency services at 480 732-0018. **

Please visit  our What You Need to Know Before Your Pet's Surgery: FAQ's page  and/or our Anesthetic Safety page to learn more.