At Alicia Pacific Veterinary Center we recommend that your pet be fasted for 8-12 hours before any anesthetic procedure. That basically means withholding dinner that night. They can still have free access to water up until they check into the hospital.

It is recommended that every pet have a blood test prior to an anesthetic procedure just like in human medicine. This blood test will let us know if your dog is suffering from a metabolic illness that will not respond well to anesthesia. There are some breeds of dogs such as Dobermine Pinschers that require additional blood tests before their first surgery such as spaying or neutering. These blood tests ensure that that dog can clot his or her blood in the event of trauma such as a surgical incision. If your dog cannot clot their blood we have to use special medications during the procedure to ensure a safe recovery.

With older dogs over the age of 7, blood work and chest x-rays are recommended before any anesthetic procedure. This allows us to see the structure of the lungs and the heart before we ask them to work a little harder under anesthesia. If any abnormalities are found we will address those before anesthetizing your pet for an elective procedure.