Pet Surgery
Trumbull

Surgical Services

At Home Veterinary Services, we understand that the thought of your pet undergoing surgery can feel overwhelming. That’s why our team is committed to making the process as safe, comfortable, and stress-free as possible for both you and your pet. Our state-of-the-art surgical suite is equipped to handle a wide variety of procedures, from routine spays and neuters to more advanced soft-tissue and orthopedic surgeries. For pets requiring specialized procedures, we work closely with a board-certified surgeon who can perform these surgeries right here in our facility. This means your pet receives the highest level of expertise without the added stress of traveling to an unfamiliar hospital. Contact our team to book your pet’s surgery today.

Anesthesia Safety

Your pet’s safety is our number one priority during every surgical procedure. We carefully tailor anesthesia protocols to each individual patient, choosing the safest options available with an added margin of protection for senior pets and those with higher risk factors. During surgery, our highly trained team uses modern monitoring equipment to track vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and temperature, ensuring your pet remains stable and comfortable throughout the procedure.

From pre-surgical assessments to attentive post-operative care, we are here to guide you through every step, answer your questions, and provide your pet with the exceptional care they deserve.

What You Need to Know Before Surgery

Many people have questions about various aspects of their pet’s surgery, and we hope this information will help. It also explains the decisions you will need to make before your pet’s upcoming surgery.

Is the anesthetic safe?

Today’s modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. Here at Home Veterinary Services, we do a thorough physical exam on your pet before administering anesthetics, to ensure that your pet is healthy enough for the scheduled procedure. We also adjust the amount and type of anesthetic used depending on the species, breed, age and health of your pet.

Preanesthetic blood testing is helpful in evaluating the risk of anesthesia. Blood testing in the clinic before surgery will ensure that your pet’s liver and kidneys can handle the anesthetic. Even apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system problems that cannot be detected without blood testing. If there is a problem, it is much better to find it before it causes anesthetic or surgical complications. Animals that have minor dysfunction will handle the anesthetic better if they receive IV fluids during surgery. If serious problems are detected, surgery can be postponed until the problem is corrected. For geriatric or ill pets, additional blood tests, electrocardiograms, or x-rays may also be recommended before surgery.

It is important that surgery be done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of vomiting during and after anesthesia. You will need to withhold food for at least 8 to 10 hours before surgery. We ask that you remove access to food and water at midnight the night before your pet’s surgery. (Don’t forget the lid on the toilet!)

Will my pet have stitches?

For many surgeries, we use absorbable sutures underneath the skin. These will dissolve on their own, and do not need to be removed later. Some surgeries, especially tumor removals, do require skin stitches. With either type of suture, you will need to keep an eye on the incision for swelling or discharge. Most dogs and cats do not lick excessively or chew at the incision, but this is an occasional problem you will also need to watch for. If there are skin sutures, these will usually be removed 10 to 14 days after surgery. You will also need to limit your pet’s activity level for a time and no baths are allowed for the first 10 days after surgery.

Will my pet be in pain?

Anything that causes pain in people can be expected to cause pain in animals. Pets may not show the same symptoms of pain as people do; they usually don’t whine or cry, but often just stay quiet and rest. This behavior is usually beneficial after surgery. Pain medications needed will depend on the surgery performed. Major procedures require more pain relief than things like minor lacerations.

For dogs, we may recommend an oral anti-inflamatory the day after surgery and several days after to lessen the risk of discomfort and swelling. Occasionally, this will be supplemented with a mild narcotic. We use newer medications, which are less likely to cause stomach upset.

Because cats do not tolerate standard pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, we are limited in what we can give them. Recent advances in pain medications have allowed for better pain control in cats than ever before. We administer a pain injection 10 minutes prior to surgery. After surgery, pain medication is given on a case by case basis. Any animal that appears painful will receive additional pain medication.

What other decisions do I need to make?

While your pet is under anesthesia, it is the ideal time to perform other minor procedures, such as dentistry, ear cleaning, or implanting an identification microchip. If you would like an estimate for these extra services, please call ahead of time. This is especially important if the person dropping the pet off for surgery is not the primary decision maker for the pet’s care.