Surgery/Internal Medicine

What happens if my pet requires surgery?

At Peñasquitos Pet Clinic, we understand that surgery on a family member is never an easy time, and the process can be a source of stress and anxiety for you both. Our team is prepared to answer your questions, discuss your concerns and set your mind at ease, once and for all. Whether it’s a routine spay or neuter, or something more complex, you can rest assured that your loved one will be in excellent hands with our dedicated surgical team!

Our dedicated team takes every precaution to ensure that your pet receives the highest-quality care. This includes a comprehensive physical exam and thorough pre-anesthetic testing before surgery and monitoring your pet during the procedure. It also involves providing appropriate pain medication to keep your pet comfortable throughout the entire process.

Peñasquitos Pet Clinic doctors have all trained extensively and worked closely with internal medicine specialists over their combined 40 years of veterinary experience.  You can rest comfortably knowing that if your pet experiences a problem requiring in depth knowledge of internal medicine, your doctors at Peñasquitos Pet Clinic have the knowledge to do a thorough work-up and diagnostic testing to help your pet and get the problems fixed! 

As an emergency clinician for over 20 years, Dr. Ray worked closely with board certified internal medicine clinicians daily.  Dr. Hoolihan did a rotating internship in internal medicine, surgery and emergency and critical care and has continued to work closely with many local internal medicine specialists over his career.  We have you and your pet covered!

Your Pet’s Surgery

The morning of your pet’s surgery, we will be waiting to welcome you both and check your companion in for his or her procedure. We take extra measures to ensure that our surgical patients feel comfortable and relaxed because we believe that this creates an optimum environment for surgery. Our dedicated team will spend as much time as necessary speaking to your pet, offering cuddles and reassuring rub downs – whatever it takes to set them at ease.

Shortly before surgery, your pet will be gently prepped and carefully sedated. The doctor will get to work performing the scheduled procedure, along with the assistance of our experienced veterinary nursing staff. Support staff will also remain on hand at all times to monitor your pet’s wellbeing throughout the surgery. We will keep a close eye on vital signs and ensure that the proper amount of pain control is being administered throughout the procedure.

It’s important to note that anesthesia and patient monitoring vary greatly from clinic to clinic. You can be confident that at Peñasquitos Pet Clinic, we use the most effective and up-to-date protocols. The type of anesthesia we use depends on the procedure being performed. Some require general anesthesia, while others may only call for local anesthesia or light sedation. We treat every surgery with the utmost care and concern, regardless of whether it’s routine or more advanced.

Your Pet’s After-Care

When surgery is finished, we will transfer your loved one to our quiet recovery area. There, our monitoring will continue as the anesthesia begins to wear off. It’s important to us that when your pet wakes up, someone is there to make the experience peaceful and calm. Rest assured that your companion will awaken to the familiar faces and soothing voices of our compassionate care team.

Someone will contact you to go over the results of surgery and to arrange for you to come to retrieve your companion. At that point, we will also provide our after-care instructions, which may include an appropriate plan to manage your pet’s pain during the recovery process. Laser therapy is available as an additional service to help your pet enjoy a faster and more comfortable post-surgical experience.