Frequently Asked Questions
Pre-Operative questions
We take pain control very seriously. Your dog will get an injection to decrease anxiety and fear, and to prevent pain within minutes of entering the truck right after getting an exam by our veterinarian. That way, they will be relaxed while waiting their turn for surgery. They get another injection of pain medication right after the surgery is over and before they wake up. They will go home with pain medications that are chewable and most dogs eat them willingly as treats.
Cats also receive a medication before anesthesia to prevent pain. They receive an injection of a long-lasting and effective pain control that lasts 3 days to make your life easier. For certain procedures that are expected to be more painful, they will also go home with chewable pills that are effective and specially designed for cats. Most cats will take them as treats.
If your puppy or kitten is under four months of age, you do not need to withhold food. If your pet is over four months of age, they should not eat any food after 10pm the night before. Water is ok.
Yes! If you are able to get your dog to urinate and defecate prior to surgery it will be very helpful! This will help prevent them from getting dirty because many dogs will go to the bathroom in their kennels when they get nervous.
YES! All cats MUST come in a separate carrier. Even if you have a great, manageable cat, they must be in a secure carrier. The truck will have doors being opened and closed and they can escape or get spooked by a dog. Bringing your cat in a carrier in the safest thing for you, your cat, and our clients. Do not carry your cat in your arms, as they could potentially jump out of your grasp when frightened and run away. We cannot release more than one cat in the same carrier. After anesthesia, cats can get disoriented and can fight with other cats, especially in confined areas; therefore, you must bring a separate carrier for each cat you bring into the clinic. If you do not bring a cat in a carrier, a cardboard carrier can be provided for you for $7.
Yes, you can line your cat’s carrier with a towel or newspaper. Many cats will get nervous on their way into the clinic and go to the bathroom in the carrier. If you line the carrier with a towel or newspaper, it will help your cat from becoming soiled. Do not leave food, toys, or water bowls in the carrier. You can also consider spraying the carrier with Feliway pheromone spray.
The check in process can take anywhere from thirty to fifty minutes. The weekend days may take a bit longer. Our check in process happens through out the day, so it is possible another client will be checking in or checking out by the time you arrive. You will need to fill out paperwork for your pet and provide us with information about any health concerns/history. It is important that you are on time because we cannot accept late check-ins.
If your dog is aggressive, see if you can bring a friend or family member to sit in the car with your dog until the clinic is ready for him/her. If you cannot bring someone with you, you should leave your dog in the car with the AC on (make sure you have your keys on you as to not lock your dog in!), let us know that you will be waiting so you can get on the waitlist, and then go back to your car. Let us know which vehicle you will be in, and someone will come and get you when you are ready. You will be asked to muzzle the dog. If you are not capable of muzzling your dog, you need to visit your full service veterinarian and ask for a sedative to give the morning of the surgery.
If your pet is not already vaccinated, you should definitely get them vaccinated to prevent life-threatening diseases. We can provide the vaccines at the time of surgery if they are overdue. It is not dangerous for your pet to get vaccines at the time of surgery. IT IS ARIZONA LAW THAT ALL DOGS OVER 3 MONTHS OF AGE BE VACCINATED AGAINST RABIES. Please provide proof of rabies vaccine prior to your visit, or we will provide a vaccine at the time of the surgery at an extra cost. We do not require the other vaccines, but strongly recommend them.
Yes. They may continue to cycle normally and bleed for about 2-4 weeks after surgery, but that will be the last time she will ever have a heat cycle once that one is over. In many cases, they may still cycle and bleed after surgery if they were spayed very close to their next period.
Yes. While performing surgery on a pregnant animal is potentially more complicated, the health benefits far outweigh the risks, and birthing can be dangerous particularly if the father was larger than mom. Notice that we will not be able to tell if your pet is pregnant if she is in early pregnancy, and we will only know once the surgery is underway and already too late. If your pet is pregnant, please make your appointment today. Prolonging pregnancy increases the risk of surgical complications. There is an extra charge for pregnant spays, as we provide fluids, extra monitoring during recovery, and extra pain meds. If there are no appointments available online, please send us an email or calls us, and we can try to fit her in sooner.
Post-operative questions
You can feed your pet small amounts of food the night of his or her surgery. Please note that anesthesia can upset your pet’s stomach. Do not be alarmed if your pet doesn’t seem to have an appetite or if they vomit. Sometimes it can take 2 or 3 days to have a bowel movement after surgery. Start by offering your pet a small amount of water. If your pet can keep that down, then you can offer more water and food. If not, then wait until the next morning to offer food. If your pet will not eat or drink the morning after surgery, you should stimulate their appetite with an aromatic wet food or a piece of chicken breast or tuna. It is very important to contact our clinic for assistance if your pet will not eat or drink for more than 24 hours. Please call us if you have any questions about your pet’s appetite.
If your pet went home with oral medication, start their medication the morning after surgery. It is very important that your pet is eating and drinking prior to administering the pain medication. If your pet will not eat or drink after surgery, you should stimulate their appetite with an aromatic wet food or smear some blended food or gravy on their gums to get them interested. It is very important to contact our clinic for assistance if your pet will not eat or drink for more than 24 hours, by phone or email.
You cannot bathe your dog or cat until two weeks after the procedure. In general, your pet’s incision will heal in two weeks. Bathing them prior to complete healing could cause complications. If your pet is very dirty, you can get waterless shampoo pet cleaner at the pet store, but do not use it around the incision.
The e-collar/cone needs to stay on your dog for two weeks. In general, your pet’s incision will heal in two weeks. The cone will protect the incision from getting licked open and infected until it is healed. If you are able to directly supervise your dog and stop him/her from licking the incision, the cone can be removed. When you are not directly supervising your pet, especially while you are sleeping, you MUST keep the cone on. If the incision gets infected or open because the pet licked the incision, there will be extra charges for antibiotics or re-suture.
A small amount of swelling at the incision site (ranging from a marble size in small cats to a walnut size in bigger dogs) is normal. This swelling is caused by the suture knots or the body’s reaction to the suture as it is breaking the suture down, and it is called a seroma. If the site is painful or you notice redness or discharge from the incision, or the incision is open, please bring your pet in for a recheck. We perform free rechecks on our surgical patients. If you are concerned, please call our clinic at 480-670-3921 or email us, and let us know you need to come in.
Minor bruising and swelling is normal after surgery, but if you notice excessive redness, discharge, or if the incision is open, please email at azmobilevetsurgery@gmail.com or call us at 480-670-3921 so we can schedule your pet’s recheck appointment. We perform free rechecks on our surgical patients. Keep an e-collar on at all times. Most of the surgical complications are caused by the pet not being kept calm or allowed to lick and chew the incision. If your pet needs additional surgery or antibiotics, there will be an extra charge for that. We also provide sedatives to keep them calmer.
A small amount of blood in the stool is generally normal for a dog or cat that has undergone a stressful situation and/or anesthesia/surgery. If the blood is excessive or you are worried, please give us a call at 480-670-3921 or call your regular veterinarian. If your pet is not fully vaccinated against parvo or been dewormed, your regular vet may want to check for those.
Yes, this is completely normal. Even if male dogs have been neutered, they will still get erections. Many dogs will still exhibit mounting behaviors. These behaviors are usually drastically reduced by neutering when they are young. If your dog exhibited mounting behavior prior to neutering, the behavior will decrease, but it is unlikely to completely stop after neutering.
If you are seeing what appear to be testicles on your dog post-surgery, there are typically two possible reasons why. First, if your dog was over 6 months old when he was neutered, the scrotal sac may appear slightly swollen after surgery. This is completely normal. If there is any inflammation from the surgery, it will fill the empty scrotal sac, giving the appearance of intact testicles. The scrotum will get smaller, but it will never go away if your dog was already an adult when he got neutered. If you don’t want a scrotum, it can be removed at time of neuter for an extra $110.
Secondly, you may be noticing a completely normal part of the male dog’s anatomy called the bulbus glandis. The bulbus glandis is part of the penis/erectile tissue that swells up inside the female dog during mating, connecting the male to the female. It is completely normal for this tissue to swell up when your dog is excited.
Unfortunately, unless your pet has a medical issue related to the surgery we are performing, we cannot provide medical services at the time of your surgery appointment. We are not a full service clinic, and our inventory is limited. You need to establish a good relationship with a veterinarian for all your other pet’s needs. If you don't have a relationship with a full service clinic, we highly recommend Animal Hospital at Greyhawk if you live in the north side, or East Valley Animal Hospital if you live in the east side.