Folsom Village Veterinary Hospital & Dental Clinic

SURGICAL COMPARISONS

As with every procedure at Folsom Village Veterinary Hospital & Dental Clinic, your petÆs comfort and safety is our primary concern. Anesthesia and surgery can be the most stressful time for your pet; we do everything we can to minimize this stress and discomfort while employing the safest procedures possible. We understand that cost is definitely a factor in choosing your petÆs health care, and want to be sure that you understand some of the differences between our hospital and the providers of low-cost care.

Proper pain control: We now know that pets experience pain in much the way that we do. Proper pain control involves not only anesthesia, but a variety of additional medications given for the sole purpose of relieving operative pain. We use an average of four medications for pain alone for most procedures. In addition, we send home pain medication for an average of 4 days after some surgery.

Heated surgery pad: We use a heated circulating water pad to maintain the body temperature of your pet while under anesthesia. . This allows us to keep our patientÆs temperature up during surgery, providing safer, smoother recoveries. .

New syringes: Believe it or not, there are no regulations preventing veterinary hospitals from reusing needles and syringes. We would never consider reusing syringes or needles on your pet.

Precision Instruments: Our instruments are top of the line surgical instruments. This means there is less chance of an instrument slipping and causing unnecessary blood loss during surgery.

Precision Suture Material: We use the strongest, best quality suture material available. We carry a varied supply of different materials in different sizes which are suitable for different procedures and different size pets. In most cases, we use surgical staples in the skin. These cause less irritation and less likely to be bothered by your pet.

IV Catheters: All patients receiving deep general anesthesia have an IV Catheter placed prior to anesthesia. This allows us to administer medications more comfortably to your pet, and provides us access to a vein should an emergency arise during anesthesia. During anesthesia, your pet will receive IV fluids using specialized pumps. We are able to deliver precise amounts of fluids and change the rate as needed. These fluids will be administered to help maintain blood pressure, provide internal organ support and to help keep your pet from becoming dehydrated.

Emergency Drugs: We keep a supply of the most advanced emergency drugs available, including synthetic blood products. These are very expensive to keep on hand, but allow us to be more prepared in case a blood loss emergency arises.

Proper Monitoring: In addition to external monitors, we have a surgical assistant dedicated exclusively to monitoring anesthesia. While under anesthesia, we use sophisticated monitors to measure tissue oxygen concentration, pulse rate, ECG , respiration and blood pressure. These have preset alarms to alert us the moment any minor problem arises.

Proper Anesthetics: We use Isoflurane for most procedures; this is one of the newest generation anesthetic agents available. Our newer anesthetics are much safer and more effective than the older drugs. This means that your pet will have a secured airway with use of an endotracheal tube. Another very important safety measure.

Follow up care: Detailed discharge instructions are given at discharge and either the doctor or technician will review these with you. Most surgical patients are seen 7-10 days after discharge. This allows for an examination of the surgical site and a medical progress exam. Of course, we are always available should any complications arise after discharge.

Do not hesitate to ask questions of your veterinary health care provider. You have the right and responsibility to your pet to know what you are paying for. Ask them if they use proper pain control. Ask if they reuse syringes and have blood products such as Oxyglobin on hand. Ask if they use proper surgery attire. Ask if they have a surgical assistant dedicated to monitoring their pet during surgery. Ask if your pet will have an IV catheter, and will have pain medications sent home. All of these are expensive, some of the materials we use are 10 times more expensive than the cheaper ones. These things may or may not be important to you, but they are important to your pet and to our standard of care.

What you should know about vaccination

October 2002

Pets, like people, can be protected from some diseases by vaccination. Although this brochure provides basic information about vaccinations for your dog or cat, your veterinarian is your best source for advice regarding your pet's vaccination needs.

Q: What are vaccines?
A: Vaccines are health products that trigger protective immune responses in pets and prepare them to fight future infections from disease-causing agents. Vaccines can lessen the severity of future diseases and certain vaccines can prevent infection altogether. Today, a variety of vaccines are available for use by veterinarians.

Q: Is it important to vaccinate?
A: Yes! Pets should be vaccinated to protect them from many highly contagious and deadly diseases. Experts agree that widespread use of vaccines within the last century has prevented death and disease in millions of animals. Even though some formerly common diseases have now become uncommon, vaccination is still highly recommended because these serious disease agents continue to be present in the environment.

Q: Does vaccination ensure protection?
A: For most pets, vaccination is effective and will prevent future disease. Occasionally, a vaccinated pet may not develop adequate immunity and, although rare, it is possible for these pets to become ill. It is important to remember that although breakdowns in protection do occur, most successfully vaccinated pets never show signs of disease, making vaccination an important part of your pet's preventive health care.

Q: Are there risks?
A: Although most pets respond well to vaccines, like any medical procedure vaccination carries some risk. The most common adverse responses are mild and short-term, including fever, sluggishness, and reduced appetite. Pets may also experience temporary pain or subtle swelling at the site of vaccination. Although most adverse responses will resolve within a day or two, excessive pain, swelling, or listlessness should be discussed with your veterinarian.

Rarely, serious adverse responses occur. Contact your veterinarian immediately if your pet has repeated vomiting or diarrhea, whole body itching, difficulty breathing, collapse, or swelling of the face or legs. These signs may indicate an allergic reaction. In very rare instances death can occur. Visit with your veterinarian about the latest information on vaccine safety, including rare adverse responses that may develop weeks or months after vaccination.

Remember that while vaccination is not without risk, failure to vaccinate leaves your pet vulnerable to fatal illnesses that are preventable.

Q: Why do puppies and kittens require a series of vaccinations?
A: Very young puppies and kittens are highly susceptible to infectious diseases. This is especially true as the natural immunity provided in their mothers' milk gradually wears off. To keep gaps in protection as narrow as possible and to provide optimal protection against disease for the first few months of life, a series of vaccinations are scheduled, usually 3-4 weeks apart. For most puppies and kittens, the final vaccination in the series is administered at when they are 12 to 16 weeks old.

Q: Which vaccines should my pet receive?
A: Discuss with your veterinarian your pet's lifestyle, access to other animals, and travel to other geographic locations, since these factors affect your pet's risk of exposure to disease. Not all pets should be vaccinated with all vaccines just because these vaccines are available. "Core" vaccines are recommended for most pets in a particular area. "Non-core" vaccines are reserved for pets with unique needs. Your veterinarian will consider your pet's particulars, the diseases at hand, and the application of available vaccines to customize a vaccine recommendation for your pet.

Q: How often should my pet be vaccinated?
A: Your veterinarian will tailor a vaccination schedule to suit your pet's needs. For many years, a set of annual vaccinations was considered normal and necessary for dogs and cats. Veterinarians have since learned more about diseases and pets' immune systems, and there is increasing evidence that immunity triggered by some vaccines provides protection beyond one year. The immunity triggered by other vaccines may fail to protect for a full year. More than one successful vaccination schedule is possible. Talk with your veterinarian about what is best for your pet.

A final thought
Many factors are taken into consideration when establishing a pet's vaccination plan. Your veterinarian will tailor a program of vaccinations to help your pet maintain a lifetime of infectious disease protection