Upon arrival to VSC the morning of your pet’s surgery, we will confirm all necessary forms are completed and signed. Then your pet will be admitted for their procedure. Your pet will be prepped for their procedure. After surgery, and once your pet is recovered from anesthesia, a member of our staff will call to give you a quick update. Then Dr. Rose will call to update you with a more detailed account of the surgery and the findings. If you have not heard from us, and would feel more comfortable checking in, please feel free to give us a call anytime. We will give you the most up-to-date information on the status of your pet.
There has been a steep increase in the popularity of brachycephalic breeds (French bulldogs, English bulldogs, and Pugs). These breeds frequently develop a variety of health issues with their airway (nose, throat, trachea, and lungs) and gastrointestinal issues related to the way their body develops (i.e. squished nose). There are some practicing veterinarians that have taken an interest in these breeds and a desire to treat them. They want to tell prospective clients about this interest and their personal experience. Although it may be well-intentioned, it can be confusing to pet owners when terms like "specialist" or "surgeon" are used by the veterinarian. A reasonable pet owner could infer that a veterinarian calling themselves a "surgeon" has received rigorous training in the treatment of the condition and skills acquired in a structured residency program. Sadly this is typically not the case! The term "surgeon" is only legally available for veterinarians with additional certification from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) so that owners are not misled. More information about what a specialist is can be found here: Vetspecialists.com
It is important for any pet owner to ask questions of their veterinarian. A veterinarian with a specific interest in a certain breed group may very well be very experienced, but if you are looking to have an expert in surgery, technique, knowledge, and experience, a Board-certified surgeon may be what you are looking for.
The surgery schedule is determined on the morning of surgery, and it is dependent upon many factors such as the complexity of each procedure, the patient’s estimated recovery time, special equipment required, etc. Changes in the surgery schedule may happen from time to time. All patients receive continuous care throughout the day whether the patient is the first surgery of the day or the last. We limit the number of scheduled surgeries on any surgery day to ensure that the surgery team is not tired or exhausted so even if your pet has to be the last case of the day the surgery team is still on their A-game!
Similar to a human surgery facility, there is a great deal of preparation required before each procedure to ensure a smooth and safe surgery schedule. Allowing enough time for our patients to adjust to the hospital environment can often times help reduce their anxiety.
Each procedure requires preparation time, set-up of the operating room and instruments, procedure time, and recovery. We are able to provide rough estimates for most cases, however, there a multitude of reasons why a procedure or anesthesia duration may be longer than initially provided. Specifics about your pet and their surgery will be discussed with you before any procedure is performed.
Every anesthetized patient at VSC is extensively monitored with a multitude of equipment. ECG, blood pressure, exhaled carbon dioxide, hemoglobin oxygen saturation, body temperature, pain, and consciousness level are all standard measurements at VSC. Every patient has a dedicated nurse stationed with them to adjust the anesthesia accordingly. We frequently use a variety of local anesthetics and narcotic drug infusions to help patients keep patients as pain-free as possible.
We appreciate the hard work that our local rescue organizations do for pets in need. We often work with local not-for-profit rescue organizations and offer discounts for services. A copy of the 501c3 letter is needed prior to the initial consultation. The amount of discount is based on the number of surgeries or treatments performed at VSC (i.e. organizations that use our facility for multiple cases are provided a larger discount than those using VSC only once), the amount of social media engagement, etc... A VSC manager can walk you through the process.
At VSC, we strongly believe in multi-modal pain control. We will address your pet’s surgery pain before they even experience any. We routinely use local anesthetics, regional anesthetics (such as epidurals), anti-inflammatory medications, and injectable opiate medications, as well as cryotherapy following surgery.
Much research has been done on the causes and sources of pain. There are a variety of medications that treat pain through different methods of action. Treatment of pain through different receptors and pathways is called multimodal analgesia (pain control).
Most of the necessary x-rays are taken prior to anesthesia to reduce the time that they are under general anesthesia. Following surgery, we will take additional radiographs to confirm accurate placement of any metal implants from the surgery.