Preparing for surgery
1
Prior to your appointment, please confirm your name, address, and phone number in your confirmation email so that we can reach you if needed during an emergency. If someone other than you will be picking up your pet, please give us their contact information at the time of drop-off. Please confirm you have signed your consent form.
2
If you have a voucher for your pet's surgery, please email it ahead of time. If you do not send it in advance, please bring it with you to drop off.
3
Please be sure that whoever is dropping off is prepared to answer the following questions about your pet's medical history: Is your pet on any medications? Have they had any recent surgeries, hospitalizations, or recent medical concerns? Any vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, or lethargy? Has your pet ever had puppies/kittens or a c-section? When was your pet's last heat?
4
Is your pet microchipped? If not, let us know if you like us to place one while under anesthesia ($25). Please note that if a microchip is found at drop off, we will trace it and contact the registered owner.
5
Please send all vaccine records prior to your surgery appointment. This allows us to determine if your pet is due for any vaccines that we can booster at the time of surgery. We recommend that all animals be up to date on vaccinations at least 2 weeks prior to surgery to prevent possible contracting of communicable diseases while in the clinic. While we are strict about our biosecurity protocols, there are animals from many different walks of life in our clinic every day and not all illnesses are immediately apparent at the time of surgery. This means that if you elect to bring your animal in unvaccinated, you are assuming all associated risks. If you need to get your pet updated on vaccines, we also have a wellness clinic where we provide preventative medicine.
6
If you live in New Hanover County and request a Rabies vaccine, you will have the ability to pay your New Hanover County fee at the time of surgery. Please note that we do not require pets to be Rabies vaccinated, but strongly recommend updating Rabies vaccines if overdue.
7
We recommend monthly flea/tick/heartworm prevention for all pets year round. We have several different options available across multiple price ranges, which can be discussed at the time of drop-off. If overdue for a heartworm test, a heartworm test will have to be performed prior to prescribing heartworm prevention.
8
We recommend e-collars (cone of shame) and post-operative sedation for all dogs after surgery. This prevents licking and over activity following surgery, which can cause complications. E-collars are $10, and post-operative sedatives are $10.
9
We require that all animals be out of the shelter for at least 2 weeks prior to surgery/anesthesia. Please contact us ASAP if your pet was recently adopted from the shelter.
10
Please note that if we see fleas on your pet, we will administer a capstar in-clinic. This is a medication that kills adult fleas for 24 hours. This is $6.42 after tax. If you would like additional flea/tick prevention that will last longer, please let us know at check in.
11
Please do not feed your pet after midnight the morning before surgery. They can have free access to water.
12
It can be beneficial to bathe/groom your dog prior to surgery to optimize cleanliness. If you elect to do this, please be sure that they have time to dry prior to arrival at the clinic. Please also keep in mind that your pet cannot be bathed for two weeks following surgery.
13
Surgery check-in is from 7:45-8:30 AM. When you arrive, please leave your dog in the car and come inside to complete paperwork and review services prior to bringing in your dog with a leash and collar/harness. Please bring all cats in secure carriers or traps.
14
Please note that our surgery deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE if you cancel your appointment. If you reschedule greater than 48 hours prior to your appointment, your deposit will move with your appointment - otherwise, you will be required to leave an additional deposit to reschedule. These deposits will be applied towards your surgery total on the day of surgery.