1	My Pet’s Surgery The following slides will show you the typical stages of any surgical patient at Four Paws Animal Hospital & Wellness Center. In this example, “Lupa” is having her “cherry eye” fixed.
2	The Accommodations All pets are placed in our ICU cages on arrival. These cages are in a centralized area where the pet can be closely monitored.
3	Pre-surgical Exam Even though your pet has already been examined at it’s pre-surgical appointment, we check them again the morning of the surgery. We are evaluating their heart, lungs, temperature, and looking for any signs of illness.
4	Sedating for Surgery After their exam is completed, we administer drugs which help calm your pet to make sure they are not anxious. At this stage we also start pain medication, because pain medication is much more effective if it is started before the surgery begins. Pain control is a high priority at our hospital, and our surgical patients are no exception.
5	IV Catheters & Fluids IV catheters are inserted after the sedatives have had a chance to take effect. A spot on the leg (usually a front leg) is shaved.
6	"The skin is then cleaned..." The skin is then cleaned with a surgical scrub multiple times.
7	"The catheter is inserted into..." The catheter is inserted into the vein and a bag of fluids is attached. This catheter provides easy access to a vein in case any emergency drugs are needed, and the fluids help regulate the pet’s blood pressure. Low blood pressure is one of the most common complications under anesthesia, so this is a very important step. This is not standard practice at all hospitals.
8	Inducing Anesthesia Once the catheter is in place, drugs are administered that will anesthetize the pet
9	Endotracheal Intubation As soon as the pet is asleep, a tube is inserted into their windpipe (trachea) that helps them breathe.
10	"One end of this tube..." One end of this tube is attached to the anesthetic machine that delivers a continuous supply of oxygen and anesthetic gases.
11	Protecting the Eyes Because Lupa’s eyes stay open while she is anesthetized, and she is unable to blink, we always apply a lubricating ointment to keep the eyes moist and prevent any damage to the cornea.
12	Surgical Site Preparation The area that is to have surgery is then shaved, and cleaned multiple times with surgical scrub.
13	The Surgical Suite This dedicated room contains a heated surgery table, optional surgical laser, centralized oxygen, and a waste anesthetic gas scavenging system. This is a picture taken on a day when we are not having surgery.
14	Surgical Suite on Surgery Day
15	"Once all the non-sterile procedures..." Once all the non-sterile procedures are completed, the pet is then transferred to the surgical suite.
16	Anesthesia Monitoring A clip is placed on the tongue to monitor the oxygenation of the blood. The technician is measuring how far she will need to insert the esophageal probe (seen here in white) by holding it up against the outside of the body to the level of the heart.
17	"The esophageal probe is then..." The esophageal probe is then slid down the throat. It measures heart rate, respiratory rate, core body temperature, and provides the ECG tracing which allows us to monitor the electrical activity of the heart.
18	"This is the display on..." This is the display on the computer monitor of the pet’s vitals. All the information is recorded so it can be kept with the patient’s medical record.
19	Blood Pressure Monitoring Now that the patient is hooked up to the anesthetic monitoring equipment, the assistant gets her first of many readings of the patient’s blood pressure.
20	Final Sterile Scrub One last scrub is done on the surgical site to make sure the area is completely sterile. (In Lupa’s case this was not necessary, because it is impossible for ocular surgeries to be completely sterile.)
21	Sterile Instruments & Supplies All of the instruments, suture material, and other supplies used are prepared and kept in a sterile manner to help prevent any infections in your pet.
22	"The doctor wears a cap" The doctor wears a cap, mask, and gloves to ensure the surgical field remains sterile. (For this particular surgery a sterile surgical gown was not necessary.)
23	Surgical Laser When the surgical laser is used, this instrument replaces a scalpel blade for any cutting that is required. The laser cuts and cauterizes at the same time, sealing off smaller blood vessels and nerve endings. This translates into less bleeding and therefore less post-operative swelling. Less swelling and sealed nerve endings mean less pain.
24	During Surgery While the doctor is performing surgery, our licensed technician is dedicated to continuously monitoring the patient. She periodically does manual measurements of what the anesthetic monitoring equipment is telling us, to make sure it is accurate. She also listens to the patient’s heart and lungs and checks their blood pressure.
25	Waking Up Once the surgery is completed, we stop the anesthesia and allow the patient to wake up. When they are sufficiently awake, all the monitoring equipment is removed and the endotracheal tube is taken out of their airway.
26	Post-op Recovery Next the patient is moved into the ICU area for recovery.
27	"These cages have heated floors" These cages have heated floors, and are located in a centralized area so that your pet can be closely monitored while they finish waking up.
28	Medical Documentation The final step is for the technician and doctor to make notes in the medical record regarding your pet’s surgery and anesthesia. The technician then prepares all medications that the doctor wants sent home with the pet. She also gets ready the printed surgical discharge instructions which will be reviewed with you at your surgical discharge appointment.
29	"Feel free to ask to..." Feel free to ask to see our surgical facilities for yourself. We would also be happy to review with you the particulars of your pet’s surgical procedure. Our priority is to make sure your pet is well cared for, and that we have answered all your questions and concerns. Hopefully this virtual surgical tour has helped you to understand what your pet’s surgery will be like.