Discover why Parkway Animal Hospital in Broussard, LA, is the preferred choice for surgical services for dogs and cats. Our skilled veterinarians and state-of-the-art facility ensure safe and compassionate care.
With a commitment to expertise, compassion, and cutting-edge technology, Parkway Animal Hospital stands as a leader in providing surgical services for dogs and cats. Your pets deserve the best care possible, and our team is dedicated to ensuring their safety and comfort throughout every step of their surgical journey. Choose us for a surgical experience centered on trust, quality, and compassionate care.
It's a great idea to make sure your pet is in tip-top shape before any surgical procedure. That's why we offer elective pre-surgical blood screening. This gives our doctors a chance to detect any liver or kidney insufficiencies that may not be apparent during a general examination. The liver and kidneys are essential organs that process anesthesia.
General anesthesia for your pet can seem scary, but rest assured that Parkway Animal Hospital makes surgical safety a priority. Your pet's anesthesia is custom-tailored to fit their needs. Know that your pet's heart rate, blood oxygen levels, breathing rate, body temperature, and blood pressure are monitored throughout the entire procedure. We offer the option of intravenous catheter placement as an additional precaution as well.
Most patients are hospitalized overnight and discharged the next day. While hospitalized, your pet will receive appropriate pain management. We strongly encourage for you to keep your pet on prescription pain management at home. Pets that have pain management have fewer post-op complications. Your pet needs to be kept quiet in the post-operative period to encourage healing and help prevent complications. Most pets can resume regular activity 5-10 days after surgery. Until then, leash walks, lots of rest, and no swimming, bathing, or running are advised. E-collars are also available if your pet chews or licks at the incision. If suture removal is required, we will schedule the appointment.
Other Services
Surgical AfterCare
Food and water
A decreased appetite is normal the evening after any procedure that includes anesthesia. If your pet does not eat after 24 hours of returning home, please contact us.
Start by giving a small amount of water. If the patient holds water down, offer a small amount of food (approximately 1/3 of normal amount). If the patient holds food down well then you can give the remainder of the meal and water.
It is normal for your pet to not have a bowel movement for 1-2 days after any anesthetic procedure. This is due to withholding food before surgery. Some patients will have a small amount of diarrhea post-operative; if the diarrhea persists for more than 2 days, please contact the office.
Activity
All activity must be restricted for 10 -14 days until the incision site is healed.
Dogs – Your pet must be leash-walked until the incision site is healed. No chasing balls, running around outside, jumping on furniture, etc.
Cats – Placing in a quiet room with limited items for your pet to jump on would be ideal. All outdoor cats must be kept inside or confined the night they return home from the hospital.
Attitude
Your pet was given sedative medications before the procedure. With any anesthetic procedure, your pet will be groggy or tired when they return home. Let them rest off the medications by placing them in a quiet room with bedding and blankets.
Your pet may be more vocal through the night (whining, crying, moaning). This is normal behavior from the sedative medications wearing off.
Your pet should return to normal behavior by the next morning.
Incision site
It is normal to have some redness and swelling at the incision site upon discharge and returning home.
It is important to look at the incision site every day. If the incision site is very red, swollen, or has any discharge, the patient must be seen by a veterinarian.
If your pet starts to lick or chew at the incision site, then an E – collar must be purchased to prevent further complications at the incision site. The majority of the surgeries have stitches that are under the skin and will dissolve over time. If any stitches need to be removed, we will discuss this with you.
The incision site heals within 10-14 days after surgery, therefore, no baths or grooming until the incision site is healed.
Pain Medication
Your pet was sent home with anti-inflammatory medication and/or pain medication. This medication will help with any discomfort from the surgical procedure that was performed today.
Please DO NOT administer any over-the-counter medications (such as Tylenol, Advil, or Aspirin) to your pet, as these medications can be harmful.
The most common side effects of anti-inflammatory medications are diarrhea and/or vomiting; if these symptoms occur, please contact our office.