Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
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For most pets it is not a problem to undergo another episode of anesthesia as long as your pet did not have any adverse reactions to the first experience and your pet is otherwise healthy. If there were any reactions to this sedation or medications please bring that to your veterinarian’s attention. Generally, anesthetic protocols are customized to each pet's medical and/or surgical condition.
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Dental work will result in release of a large amount of oral bacteria. As a result, we do not perform other surgeries under the same anesthetic event.
Diet & Medications
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It is recommended to wait a couple of hours when arriving home if your pet had surgery the same day of discharge. Allow him/her to settle and relax from an eventful day before offering food. Do not panic if your pet is not interested in food or water the same day as surgery. Your pet was given intravenous fluids during surgery and should be hydrated. Most pets will get back to their normal appetite within 24-48 hours of surgery.
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Many medications can be given at the same time. Your family veterinarian prescribed all your medications to go home and will give you instructions when you pick up your pet from surgery. If, at any time, you feel your pet is having a reaction to a medication (i.e. vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite) you should call and speak with your veterinarian.
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If your pet is vomiting, you should contact your family veterinarian to discuss why your pet may be vomiting and address that concern. Your family veterinarian has prescribed your medications and will be the source as to when you should give the next dose or adjust any prescriptions based on your pet's health needs.
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Your pet can return back to a regular diet and feeding schedule. Outpatient (or same day) surgery may result in a decreased willingness to eat in the evening after your pet returns home, but do not be concerned. Typically, you should expect your pet to have a normal interest in food 24-48 hours after surgery.
Once your pet has a normal appetite, we recommend that you feed ~20-25% less than you typically would to reduce the chance of excessive weight gain in the post-operative period, especially after orthopedic surgery.
In certain cases, depending on the underlying concern for your pet, a prescription diet may be recommended by your family veterinarian.
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Typically, there is no issue continuing your scheduled administration of heartworm and flea medications for elective surgeries for healthy pets with a normal appetite and no recent vomiting. If your pet is sick or is not back to a normal appetite, please consult your veterinarian for the best time to start any oral preventative therapies.
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There is no fast rule, but remember vaccines work by stimulating the immune system, so if your pet’s immune system is hard at work because of another problem, vaccines may not be effective if given during a sick visit.
If you have a healthy pet that is having elective surgery, we don’t recommend a vaccine close to or right at the time of surgery in the rare instance your pet may have a vaccine reaction. Typically, we suggest getting vaccinated 1-2 weeks before or after surgery if timing is critical.
After Surgery Care
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Your family veterinarian is always your primary point of care for you to reach out to them with any questions or concerns. You can also email Jewel Veterinary Surgery at
for post-operative concerns and we will be happy to address your concerns during our open business hours. If you have emergent concerns and both businesses are closed, please seek the appropriate after hours emergency facility near you.
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This is the number one question we get. Do not be concerned if your pet has not had a bowel movement. Anesthesia can slow down the gut for several days, but if your pet is eating and urinating, you can rest assured things will move along. It can sometimes take up to a week. If your pet is straining or struggling to defecate, you can consider mixing a small amount of canned pumpkin with canned food to help increase fiber, but this is rarely needed.
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If your pet starts to use the surgical leg poorly or holds it up for more than 12-24 hours, your pet should be examined by a veterinarian. Sometimes, additional tests such as radiographs (x-rays) are needed or additional medications may be prescribed. Hopefully, this is only a minor setback but rarely, significant post-operative complications can occur and need to be addressed in a timely fashion, some even requiring additional surgical intervention.
Strict adherence to post-operative instructions will minimize the likelihood of complications.
Bandage & Incision Care
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Skin incisions typically take 10-14 days to heal. Sometimes there are external sutures or staples that will need to be removed by your family veterinarian. Sometimes we place buried, dissolvable sutures that do not need to be removed. Regardless of the material to close the skin, a recheck evaluation by your veterinarian is needed during that time frame to make sure the incision is healed.
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Do not place any topical ointments, creams, or disinfectants on the incision. This can cause more irritation and may motivate your pet to lick or traumatize the area.
We do provide you with a cold/warm compress to help reduce pain and swelling post-operatively. CLICK HERE to learn more!
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It is very common to see bruising and swelling after surgery. You will notice the bruising may darken over 2-3 days, just like a bruise on your skin. Swelling can also move in a gravity dependent manner. You may see swelling migrate down from knee surgery to the ankle. It is typically soft and nonpainful. This will resolve on its own or with gentle massage to the area.
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Wet bandages, for any reason, need to be replaced urgently, typically within 24 hours. Wet bandages cause bandage materials to tighten and can cause severe complications to the skin and underlying tissue.
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If you notice fluid/drainage from the incision (often blood-tinged), opening of the incision, or warm/painful swelling, the surgical site may be infected. Unless your dog is feeling sick or there is a significant opening of the surgical site, this is often not an overnight emergency but should be evaluated by your family veterinarian within 24-48 hours.
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Once your pet is home with you we ask that you check the incision daily. A lump under the incision may be something as insignificant as a suture knot or a mild suture reaction (most common reason). But, a lump could also indicate something more serious (much less common) and should be assessed by your doctor.
After Surgery Restrictions
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Your pet has just undergone MAJOR surgery and requires time to heal. Exercise restriction includes no running, jumping, or unlimited access to stairs. Rough play with children or other pets is not allowed during recuperation. Your pet should be confined to a small area with good traction and no access to climb furniture, ideally a crate.
Outdoor activity is limited to short leash-walks several times a day for bathroom breaks only. There should be no unrestricted activity of any kind. With orthopedic procedures, we will provide detailed guidelines for rehabilitation which builds gradually over the healing process (typically 8-10 weeks).
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We have rebranded e-collars as the “cone of FAME!” Yes, your pet will give you those sad eyes but we promise they will be better off having the e-collar removed at the first recheck than the alternative. There is an enormous amount of bacteria in dog mouths and it takes seconds to deliver it to the surgical site, which can lead to an infection. We have also seen dogs chew open their surgical sites needing further surgery. 10-14 days will seem like a vacation compared to the alternative, trust us!
If you were provided an anti-lick device called a LickSleeve after knee surgery, this will help deter your dog from licking, but an e-collar needs to be on at all times while your pet is not DIRECTLY supervised.
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Don’t hate the crate! There are numerous benefits to having your dog crate trained (i.e. safety, comfort, and a quiet resting place), but the number one benefit to your pet after surgery is to avoid overactivity.
Too much activity can result in complications to the incision, swelling of the surgical site, and breakage/failure of plates and other implants.
99% percent of our patients do well in the crate. Occasionally, your family veterinarian will prescribe medications to help reduce anxiety.
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While we hesitate to say yes, there is a very small percentage of pets that will injure themselves if placed in a crate. If you have a large dog, a small room or small gated area with good traction can be suitable. Your pet cannot have access to furniture in this designated area. For smaller patients, a play pen can also be effective. Keep in mind that there is no roof to these enclosures and pets may decide to jump over a gate or out of a playpen, which can result in complications at the surgical site.
We strongly urge cat owners to use a large dog crate during recovery as cats
are a different animal
with two speeds: jumping or sleeping. Your cat needs a roof as any cat will jump over a gate easily and may cause significant injury to the surgical site.
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Your pet may be safely bathed after your family veterinarian has evaluated your pet at the 10-14 day post-operative recheck examination. If your pet has had orthopedic surgery, it is advised to bathe with caution in a location with good traction where your pet cannot jump, slip, or fall. If your pet has a bandage in place, then bathing must wait until bandage removal.
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Your pet can SLOWLY do outdoor stairs with good traction on a short leash to get in and out of the house. Please avoid indoor steps as falling or slipping down hardwood steps can be very damaging to a surgical repair. Your pet should not have any unrestricted access to steps until the surgery is completely healed.
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Typically, there is no concern. Please make sure that the area is clean. Your pet should be kept inside a clean confined area that is temperature controlled during recovery.
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