"Apples to Apples"

Owners want the best for their pets
Few things elicit more anxiety in a client than the prospect of their pet having surgery.  A pet owner's primary concern is that their cherished companion will go through the surgery safely and with as little discomfort as possible.  It is our purpose at Johnsen Animal Hospital to take every possible precaution with each surgical patient to prevent an unfortunate outcome.  In order to accomplish this goal, many safety nets have to be in place before, during, and after surgery to reduce risk.

Common perception of surgical procedures
Many  pet owners assume that surgical procedures are standardized and that all veterinary hospitals offer essentially the same level of service for a particular surgery.  Unfortunately, this is often not the case.  The old adage "You get what you pay for!" is very applicable when considering having surgery for your pet.  Discounted surgery usually translates to less service provided to your pet. 

From a pet owner and consumer perspective it is important to compare "apples to apples," in other words--"Am I receiving the same quality of service for the price being quoted?"  Much of the cost of a surgical procedure at Johnsen Animal Hospital is directed toward establishing multiple safety nets, quality surgical control, and maximum pain managment.  These include:  pre-operative blood work, peri-operative fluid therapy, advanced surgical monitoring, and pre and post surgical pain management.  We encourage pet owners to inquire exactly what amenities are provided by any hospital they choose to use for their pet's surgery.  Remember, it is not an "apples to apples" comparison to use price alone to establish the value of the service received.

Willing to take a risk?
As with anything in life many corners can be cut when doing surgery and often times no problems occur as a result.  It is much like driving a car with no seat belt or air bag, with one headlight out, poor brakes and no windshield wipers.  In most cases, you can still get from point A to B without significant problems, but you are ill equipped to deal with trouble and the results could be disastrous.  How about another analogy--  When it comes to maintaining life under anesthesia it is much like flying an airplane.  Once you are in the air you are committed and "do overs" are hard to come by.  It's far safer to check everything before taking off rather than trying to make mid-air adjustments.  While there is no such thing as 100% certainty in any procedure  involving anesthesia and surgery it is possible to greatly improve the odds for those who want to assume the least possible risk for their pet during surgery.

At Johnsen Animal Hospital, we are not risk takers with the life of your pet.  We mandate that the surgical patient receive optimum care through the utilization of pre-operative blood work, peri-operative fluid therapy, advanced surgical monitoring, and pre and post surgical pain management.  Concern for the safety of your pet is our moral and ethical duty as veterinarians and we are conscience driven to make sure that we take no "behind the scenes" shortcuts to improve the bottom line.

Your pet's surgical experience
Much anxiety stems from the unknown, therefore a brief explanation of what happens on the day of surgery may be of benefit to you, the client.  Upon admittance, a certified veterinary assistant will obatin information from you regarding vaccination, health and behavioral history of your pet.  Once the necessary pre-surgical forms are completed, a blood sample will be drawn from your companion.  This blood analysis gives assurance to the surgeon that 1) the kidneys and liver will properly metabolize the anesthesia; 2) the patient is not anemic or immune compromised; 3) there is no evidence of infection; and 4) the patient's blood is able to clot properly.  In addition to bloodwork, a pre-operative physical is performed as well to rule out any physical signs of illness or disability that may disqualify the patient from surgery.

The process continues with the administration of pre-anesthetic medications for sedation and pain relief.  An IV catheter is then inserted to provide fluids which maintain blood pressure and assure hydration during the procedure.  The catheter will also act as an immediate portal for emergency drugs if the need for them arises.  Monitors are then applied to the patient to assess heart and respiratory rates, body temperature, and oxygen saturation.  After surgical prep is completed, the patient is then transferred to the surgical suite.  

Our surgical team consists of:  the veterinary surgeon, a certified surgical assistant and a certified anesthesia assistant for data monitoring.  All surgery is perfomed in a sterile environment based on American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) guidelines requiring individual sterile instruments; sterile gown, mask, and gloves be used for each patient.  Once surgery is completed, recovery protocols are initiated which include post-operative surgical pain therapy, anesthetic reversal agents, surgical wound management, and administration of appropriate medications such as antibiotics.  The patient is then transferred to a recovery area where nursing care is provided until he/she is totally conscious and responsive.  Patient monitoring will continue throughout the day until release.

Upon release, the veterinary surgeon will consult with you about specific post-surgical care for your pet at home ie, feeding instructions, activity level, medication use, care of the wound, and suture removal.

Additional information
For geriatric or ill pets, additional blood tests, electrocardiograms, or x-rays may be required before surgery as well. 

It is important that surgery be done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of aspiration of vomited food into the lungs during and after anesthesia.  You will need to withhold food for at least 8 to 10 hours before surgery.  Water can be left down for the pet until the morning of surgery.

While your pet is under anesthesia, it may be the ideal time to perform other 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. 

When you bring your pet in for surgery, we will need about 10-15 minutes of time to check your pet in.  When you pick up your pet after surgery you can also plan to spend about 20-30 minutes to go over your pet's surgery and after-care instructions with the veterinarian. 

We will call you the night before your scheduled surgery appointment, to confirm the time you will be dropping your pet off and to answer any questions you might have. 


If you have any questions regarding our policies or procedures or would like to see our surgical facilities we would be happy to accomodate you.