Aftercare

Proper Restraint: Please protect your pet when leaving by using either a leash or a carrier. Excessive activity may result in your pet getting loose and result in injury since your pet is recovering from surgery. Do not allow your pet to become overly active and excited when you pick him/her up.

Food and Water: With the excitement of returning home after surgery, your pet may be inclined to drink or eat excessively, which may likely result in vomiting. To avoid this, we recommend restricting access to water for an hour or so until your pet has quieted down. Then allow only small amounts or the first 8 hours. Normal feeding may resume the next day.

Diet: Feed your pet his or her regular diet, unless instructed otherwise.

Eliminations: Many patients may not have a bowel movement for 24 to 36 hours after surgery. This is normal.

Exercise and Activity: Patients recovering for surgery should have limited exercise. Avoid access to stairs or situations that may lead to injury. Due to the affects of anesthesia, he/she may be groggy for 12 hours, and must be watched closely. Your pet may resume normal exercise and activity 7 days. Your pet should be confined to indoors and taken outside on a leash only for eliminations for 7 days. - A decrease in activity or appetite for one or two days may be observed.

Sutures: Do not allow your pet to lick or chew at the sutures. Please check the incision daily for any swelling, redness or discharge. If they appear irritated or infected please contact us at 616-897-8865. Sutures are absorbable and don't need to be removed. If the patient has caused damage to the sutures by licking, chewing or excessive activity, you will be responsible for any costs involved in the repair.

Monitor: A decrease in activity or appetite for one or two days may be observed. However, if your pet exhibits any of the following symptoms, please notify us at 616-897-8865. (1) Loss of appetite over 2 days (2) Refusal to drink water over 1 day (3) weakness, (4) Depression, (5) Vomiting, (6) Diarrhea.

Veterinary Visits: If any veterinary visits are required for after surgery care, please call us at 616-897-8865. We will not reimburse for any vet care received with any other veterinarian. If there are problems related to not following discharge instruc-tions, we will not be responsible for increased costs.