🦷 Dental Surgery Home Care Instructions

Your pet has had a dental procedure today. It is normal for them to be tired or slightly sore for the next several hours to a few days. Please follow the instructions below to ensure a smooth recovery.

🐾 When Leaving the Hospital

For your pet’s safety:

• Use a leash for dogs.
• Use a secure carrier for cats.

💊 Medications

• Begin all prescribed medications as directed.
• Please call us if you have any difficulty giving medications.

🍽 Food & Water

Tonight:

• Offer small amounts of soft/moistened food and water only.

Tomorrow:

• Resume normal feeding with your pet’s regular diet unless otherwise instructed.

🏃 Activity & Exercise

• Restrict activity for the next several days.
• Keep indoors.
• Take outside on leash only for bathroom breaks.
• No running, jumping, playing, or stairs.

🧵 Sutures / Incision Care

• Prevent licking, chewing, or scratching at the surgical site.
• • Please call to schedule a technician appointment.

📞 Follow-Up

• Call us in 2–3 days with a progress report.

💤 Post-Anesthesia Information

It is common to notice:

• Sleepiness or unsteadiness tonight.
  • Use caution around stairs and furniture.
• A mild soft cough for a few days due to the breathing tube.
  • Call if coughing worsens or becomes productive.
• Mild constipation for a few days.
  • Call if no bowel movement occurs within 3 days.

🚨 Contact Us Immediately If You Notice:

📍 Summit Dog Cat Hospital

📞 (908) 273-2200

• Loss of appetite for more than 2 days
• Refusal to drink water for more than 1 day
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Excessive pain
• Swelling at the surgery site
• Missing or loose sutures
• Bleeding from the mouth
• Bad odor or drainage from incision/bandage
• Labored breathing
• Weakness or inability to stand
• Straining to urinate or defecate
• Discharge from eyes, ears, or nose
• Depression or extreme lethargy
• Chewing or licking at sutures

If you have any concerns at all, please call. We are happy to help and would much rather answer a small question than have a complication develop.

❤️ Thank you for trusting us with your pet’s care!