Frequently Asked Questions

We will try to answer your important questions as a pet owner. If you can’t find your answer on this page, please submit your question here. Once the question is reviewed, we will publish it below with the best answer.
General Questions
The procedure schedule is set the day of the procedure. We can give you an estimated procedure order for your pet. The doctor will call you after the procedure is done to go over findings and post-operative care. We do not encourage visitation the day of surgery or an extensive procedure. We would like the patient to recover from anesthesia on his or her own terms. Sometimes they may be vocal or appear anxious from the sedation. This can be heightened if the patient is anxious when separating from their owner. For this reason, unless your pet is critically ill, we ask that visitation be held off until the following day.
Your pet will spend the night following any surgical procedure. This is to allow appropriate recovery from anesthesia, to assess their ability to ambulate, to make sure they are eating and drinking well, and that the patient can overall be managed at home by the owner. In some instances, the post-operative care may be extensive. In these cases, we encourage the owners to visit prior to discharge to ensure they are comfortable taking their pet home and understand the at-home instructions.
PetLife Animal Hospital is staffed 24 hours a day with both trained nurses and veterinarians when there is a critical care patient in the hospital. You need not fear that your pet will be left alone in a cage unattended. They receive intensive nursing care during the acute stage of their recovery. On the day of discharge from PetLife, you will receive written discharge instructions detailing the required care of your pet once you get him home. This may include administration of medications, specific food to be fed or physical therapy to promote healing. All of these items will be explained to you prior to discharge.