Health Information

Checklist for Pet's Health

Because you know your pet best, you will notice changes in your pet's condition and behavior that seem abnormal to you. The following is a checklist you may want to review to keep on top of your pet's health. Should you notice these signs you should call the hospital and make an appointment.

• Eye or ear discharge
• Diarrhea or vomiting, especially with blood
• Coughing or sneezing
• Straining to urinate
• Severe itching
• Excess loss of hair, either symmetrical or in patches loss of appetite
• Increased water consumption and / or urination
• Frequent blinking or keeping eyelids closed
• Listlessness
• Seizures
• Weight loss
• Change in appetite
• Change in behavior
• Weakness
• Disorientation
• Change in interaction with family members

Surgery: What You Can Expect

All of us at Bellerose Animal Hospital understand your concerns as you approach the day your beloved pet is scheduled for surgery. By understanding our procedures and knowing what you can expect, we hope to relieve some of your anxiety.

The Evening Before Surgery

Feed your pet his or her usual evening meal with plenty of fresh water. By 8 p.m., please take away any remaining food and take up the water bowl. Be sure that the garbage has been put away and other sources of water are removed so that your pet will have nothing further to eat or drink.

The Day of Surgery

Your pet should come to the office without any food or water in the morning (no treats, etc.). You should arrive at the hospital between 7:30 and 8 a.m. or between 8:30 and 9 a.m.(In some cases when owners are unable to drop their pets off between these hours, arrangements can be made to leave the pet the evening before surgery).

You will be greeted in our reception area by one of our nurses, who will ask you to read and sign the release forms.

• The first release will discuss pre-anesthetic blood work.
• The second release will itemize the projected services and the costs.

The nurse admitting your pet will ask you some questions about your pet.

• If your pet is given medications on a regular basis, you will be asked if the medication was given the morning of admission.
• You will be told when you can call to check on your pet.
• You will be told when your pet is expected to be discharged.
• You will have any of your questions answered...no question will be considered unnecessary.
• You may be asked to leave a deposit when you sign the paperwork.
• Please take your pet's leash and collar home with you, as well as your carrier if you are returning home after leaving the hospital.

You will be told when you can call the hospital to check on your pet's status. You should have one family member assume the responsibility as spokesman for the family. You can feel comfortable checking on your pet several times during the day and evening if this will put you at ease. Our role is to make this as painless as possible for both you and your hospitalized pet.

Taking Your Pet Home from the Hospital

It is a warming experience to reunite the pets we have cared for with their owners who have entrusted us with their special companions.

Length of Stay

The length of your pet's stay varies based on the procedure he or she has undergone.

• Feline neuters: go home the same day.
• Feline spays: stay overnight and go home sometime after 10 a.m. the following morning.
• Felines being declawed stay in the hospital two nights and go home the third day.
• Canine neuters: stay overnight and go home sometime after 10 a.m. the second day.
• Canine spays: stay overnight and go home sometime after 10 a.m. the second day.

When will I pick up my pet?

You will be told to check with the receptionist the day of discharge. In most cases, you will be asked to call after 10 a.m. when the doctors have finished rounds and all of the hospital cases have been examined, treated and/or evaluated. The receptionist will tell you when your pet will be ready to go home.

How will I know what to do for my pet when we return home?

When you arrive at the hospital you will be given a set of discharge instructions, which will require your signature and a copy of your bill. We want the formalities taken care of first so you can give your full attention to the nurse's discharge instructions and explanations before you and your pet are reunited.

• Your instruction sheet will tell you when next to feed your pet.
• Your pet's activity should be restricted for the next seven to 10 days.
• You should prevent your pet from licking or scratching at his/her incision site. In many cases your pet may be sent home with a plastic "clown collar" to prevent such activity.
• If your cat has sutures, you may be told to substitute the kitty litter with shredded newspaper so litter does not get caught in the incision. If your cat has been declawed you will be asked to use shredded newspaper in place of litter.
• Your instruction sheet will also tell you if there are external sutures closing your pet's incision and when they should be removed.

Public Education

Growing Up With Pets - An educational resource to bring parents information and advice on how to help them foster strong, healthy relationships between their children and their pets.

Companion Animal Parasite Council - Fostering animal and human health while preserving the animal-human bond through recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of parasite infections.