Preoperative Exam and Labs
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Your veterinarian at SNVH will give your pet a thorough physical examination the morning of the procedure to make sure he/she is healthy enough for the surgery and anesthesia. Remember, pets can't tell us if they don't feel well. A physical examination is our first defense against performing surgery on an animal that could be ill, have an infectious disease, or a heart murmur that would compromise his or her safety under anesthesia.
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Additionally, all patients who are anesthetized will have blood work beforehand. All pets - not just the old or sick - should have a basic pre-anesthetic blood test to reduce risk and increase safety. A healthy-appearing pet may be hiding symptoms of a disease or ailment and blood work can detect abnormalities that could affect anesthesia - even in pets younger than one year of age. We check a complete blood count (CBC), blood sugar, liver and kidney values, and a complete biochemical profile of 25+ components including electrolytes. If the blood work is normal, we can proceed with confidence knowing the anesthetic risk is minimized. These tests also provide a baseline for your pet if it becomes sick in the future. If the blood work is abnormal, we can treat prior to anesthesia and take steps to tailor the medication to your pet's unique needs.
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