Anesthetic Procedure Consent Form

What is a spay or neuter?

A spay (ovariohysterectomy- removal of the ovaries and uterus) or neuter (orchiectomy- removal of the testicles) is a surgical procedure that eliminates the possibility of reproduction. These procedures also eliminate or reduce the risk of certain diseases, such as pyometra (infection of the uterus), uterine cancer, testicular cancer, and mammary cancer.

How is a spay or neuter performed?

During this procedure, your pet will be anesthetized. The abdomen is shaved and cleaned, and an incision is made into the abdomen. The ovaries are located and freed from the surrounding tissues, and the blood vessels to the ovaries are tied off with sutures. The blood supply to the uterus is also located and tied off with sutures, and the uterus and ovaries are removed. The incision is closed in multiple layers with suture. Pain medication will be given during the procedure, and additional pain medication may be given after the procedure depending on your pet’s needs. Pain medication is sent home to make your pet more comfortable over the next few days as your pet recovers from surgery.

What are the potential risks of a spay or neuter?

Spay and neuter procedures are considered routine surgeries, and the overall risk is low. Nevertheless, it is a significant operation and as such, it requires careful aftercare, even in pets that seem to recover quickly. Complications related to surgery are not common but can include excessive bleeding, bruising, and infection. After spay procedures or abdominal cryptorchid neuter procedures, there is a very low risk that abdominal organs could herniate, or protrude, past the abdominal muscles or even through the skin. It is important to follow post-operative instructions to restrict activity and prevent your dog from licking at the incision to lower the risk of these complications. Other surgical complications are possible, but uncommon.

What is a mass removal?

A mass removal is the surgical removal of a tumor (abnormal growth of tissue). This procedure can sometimes be curative if the entire mass is removed. This procedure can also be used to diagnose what type of tumor a pet has because the mass can be sent to the lab for histopathology (biopsy).

How is a mass removal performed?

During this procedure, your pet will be anesthetized. The surgical site is shaved and cleaned, and an incision is made into the skin to allow removal of the mass. The incision is closed with multiple layers of suture, and depending on the surgeon’s preference, surgical staples or skin glue may be used. Pain medication will be given during the procedure, and additional pain medication will be given after the procedure depending on your pet’s needs. 

What are the potential risks of a mass removal?

A mass removal is considered a routine surgery, and the overall risk is low. Complications during surgery are rare and usually related to the use of general anesthesia. After surgery, complications may include excessive bleeding, bruising, infection, or opening of the incision site (dehiscence). It is important to follow postoperative instructions to restrict activity and prevent your pet from licking at the incision to lower the risk of these complications.

What is a cystotomy?

A cystotomy is a surgical operation that involves opening the urinary bladder. It allows for some or all of the following: removal of urinary calculi (bladder stones) that pose the risk of urinary obstruction, identification and biopsy of masses within the urinary bladder, and/or to obtain culture samples to target antibiotic therapy for chronic bladder infection.

How is a cystotomy performed?

While under general anesthesia, your pet will have hair shaved from his/her abdomen (belly) and the skin will be prepared for sterile surgery. An incision will be made into the abdomen, and the urinary bladder will be identified. The surgeon will make an incision into the urinary bladder and evaluate the inside surface. If bladder stones are present, they will be removed and submitted for analysis as well as culture. A sample of the urinary bladder wall may be obtained for biopsy and/or culture. The urinary bladder will then be closed with suture and evaluated to ensure no urine leakage. The abdomen will be flushed with sterile saline, and the abdominal incision will be closed with multiple layers of suture. Following surgery, your pet will be monitored in hospital for postoperative complications.

What are the potential risks of a cystotomy?

The risks of a cystotomy are those associated any surgery, including bleeding and postoperative pain. Additionally, there is the risk of urinary leakage (uroabdomen), seroma (fluid-filled pocket around incision), infection, and dehiscence (opening of incision). There is also the chance of recurrence of clinical signs, despite appropriate therapy. Finally, there is a risk that we may not identify the specific cause of your pet’s illness and/or be able to fix the underlying problem, despite performing a cystotomy.

What is an enucleation?

The goal of enucleation is to remove a diseased or damaged globe
(eyeball) as well as the 3rd eyelid and the eyelid margin. Usually, the procedure is performed to resolve pain that can be caused by severe ulceration of the eye, glaucoma, trauma to the eye, or other causes. Sometimes, the procedure is performed to remove cancerous tissue or tissue that harbors an infection that cannot otherwise be resolved. 

How is an enucleation performed?

Your pet will be placed under general anesthesia, and hair will be clipped from his/her face around the affected eye. The surgeon will remove the globe (eyeball) as well as the surrounding tissues, closing the eyelids permanently with stitches. Following surgery, your pet will be monitored closely in hospital for postoperative complications, and an Elizabethan collar (cone) will be placed to minimize the risk of him/her scratching at the surgery site. Sutures may need to be removed in 10-14 days.

What are the potential risks of an enucleation?

The most common risks of enucleation include bleeding and infection. If all of the tissue around the eye cannot be removed, there is a risk of continued secretions of tears. Draining tracts can also develop with retained tissue. Other risks include those associated with general anesthesia, as well as general risks of surgery, including postoperative infection and/or pain. Additionally, there is the risk of seroma (fluid-filled pocket around incision) formation and dehiscence (opening of incision). There is also the risk that we may not identify the specific cause of your pet’s illness and/or be able to fix the underlying problem, despite performing an enucleation. In some conditions, the underlying disease process can affect the other eye as well, either now or at a future date.

What is an amputation?

Amputation involves the permanent removal of an injured or diseased limb, digit (toe), or tail. The procedure should provide animals with improved comfort. Most dogs and cats adapt very well to life following an amputation.

How is an amputation performed?

Your pet will have the hair clipped from the body part that is to be removed. Under anesthesia, the limb, digit, or tail will be surgically removed, and the surgical incision will be closed using multiple layers of sutures or skin staples. After surgery, your pet will need to wear an Elizabethan collar (E-collar) for 10-14 days to allow the surgical incision to heal. Your pet’s activity will be restricted during this time in order to minimize the risk of complications. Following a limb amputation, many dogs will need to be supported with a sling in the initial period or recovery, as s/he learns to walk on three legs. For at least several days after the surgery, your pet will be given analgesic drugs to control any associated pain. Once the site of the surgery is healed in about 2 weeks, the sutures or skin staples may need to be removed.

What are the potential risks of an amputation?

For healthy animals, amputation is generally a safe procedure. Animals with other illnesses or injury are more likely to have some complications. With any surgery, there is a risk of bleeding and postoperative pain. Additionally, there is the risk of seroma (fluid-filled pocket around incision), infection of the surgical site, and dehiscence (opening of incision). Amputation of a leg, digit, or tail with cancer may or may not cure the cancer. Regardless, the amputation procedure will usually remove a source of pain and make the pet more comfortable.

What is a gastropexy?

Gastropexy is a surgical procedure to “tack” the stomach in place within the abdomen to prevent it from moving or rotating. This is ideally performed as a preventative, elective procedure to decrease risk of future bloat and stomach displacement or twisting (gastric dilation and volvulus, or GDV). Often, preventive gastropexy is recommended for dogs of predisposed breeds at the same time as a neuter surgery (spay or castration). For dogs that do develop a bloated and twisted stomach, gastropexy is performed as a part of a corrective and life-saving surgery; the intent is that the gastropexy will prevent the same problem from occurring again.

The stomach is the part of the gastrointestinal tract that is between the esophagus and the small intestines, in the front part of the abdomen near the ribs. It is loosely held in place by connective tissue and ligaments, which function to help keep the stomach in the right position and orientation. In some disorders, such as gastric dilation and volvulus; the stomach fills with gas and flips over on itself. This abnormal positioning prevents gas from moving through the stomach and cuts off blood supply to the rest of the body; this is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate surgery. Certain breeds of dogs, particularly large breeds with deep chests such as Great Danes, Doberman pinschers, German shepherds, poodles, and golden or Labrador retrievers, are predisposed to developing this condition.

How is a gastropexy performed?

During gastropexy, the stomach is surgically attached to the inside of the body wall. This is generally accomplished through making a surgical incision into the abdominal cavity and suturing the wall of the stomach to the inside of the abdominal muscles. 

What are the potential risks of a gastropexy?

The most common risks with the surgery include bleeding, infection, anesthetic risk, or breakdown of the sutures, requiring a second surgery. Pets may develop abnormal heart rhythms after surgery, particularly if the gastropexy is done to fix a GDV. Minor complications include stomach upset, diarrhea, and postoperative pain. Very rarely, gastropexy can cause abnormal stomach emptying that might result in vomiting. Failure of the tacking procedure resulting in recurrence of stomach twisting, while uncommon, is possible.

What are dental extractions?

The goal of dental extractions is to remove teeth that may be dead, infected, unstable, broken, or causing pain to your pet. This is performed under general anesthesia, often at the same time as a dental cleaning. Many pet owners do not recognize signs that their pet has mouth pain from dental disease, but after diseased teeth are removed, the pet’s level of comfort will be improved as will their overall oral health. Though some pets may require soft food for a few days after teeth are removed and while the gums heal, most pets have no problem quickly returning to their normal diet. This is true even when all of the teeth must be removed. In fact, your pet might have less pain while eating soon after the bad teeth are pulled than they did just before!

How are dental extractions performed?

Teeth that need to be removed are identified during an initial evaluation of your pet’s mouth while he or she is under general anesthesia. Dental x-rays will help to identify teeth that appear healthy on the outside but are diseased below the gums. A numbing medication may be administered during anesthesia to help minimize pain associated with the removal of teeth even after the pet wakes up from anesthesia. During anesthesia, and after diseased teeth have been identified, they will be extracted. Some teeth can be removed after they are manually loosened from their attachments to the mouth. Other teeth may require more advanced techniques to allow precise, safe removal of the entire tooth. Such techniques include the removal of bone from around the tooth’s root to ensure that the tooth’s root can be clearly seen and fully removed. This is critical to ensuring the most successful outcome to your pet’s dental extractions. Once the tooth has been removed, the location will be cleaned out and smoothed and then sutured (stitched) closed to help your pet’s mouth heal. These sutures will dissolve with time so they don’t need to be removed later on. In most cases, pain control medications are prescribed to use for several days after the extraction to be sure that your pet remains pain free.

What are the potential risks of dental extractions?

Once a tooth is removed, the gums will be stitched closed to help the area heal. There is a possibility that the suture may become loose or fall out prematurely, which can result in delayed healing as well as discomfort. It is possible for a portion of a tooth’s root to break off during extraction, which can cause infection or pain. Dental x-rays after extractions can prevent this outcome by making sure that there are no root fragments left in the mouth. There is a risk of neighboring teeth becoming damaged during the extraction process, and on occasion this may necessitate their removal as well. If there was significant dental disease present before the extraction, it may have caused bone loss and weakening of the jaw. Removal of a tooth in a severely affected area could result in a jaw fracture. There is a small risk of significant bleeding associated with tooth removal. Another uncommon complication that can occur during the tooth removal process is that a tooth is pushed into another area (such as into the inside of the nose) where it can be very difficult to remove.

Oral Mass Removal: Oral masses are typically removed under anesthesia. A numbing medication may be administered during anesthesia to help minimize pain associated with mass removal even after the pet wakes up from anesthesia. During anesthesia, the mass will be surgically removed. Depending on the size and location of the mass, the tissue will then sutured (stitched) closed to help your pet’s mouth heal. These sutures will dissolve with time so they don’t need to be removed later on. In most cases, pain control medications are prescribed to use for several days after the mass removal to be sure that your pet remains pain free. We advise feeding softened or canned food for 7 to 10 days following an oral mass removal for comfort.

Orthopedic surgeries at St. Francis are performed by board-certified veterinary surgeons. These surgeons provide detailed information about the procedures that they perform, including aftercare instructions. Please let us know if you have not received this information prior to your pet's surgery.