Pet Surgery: What to Expect Before, During, and After

Before Your Pet’s Surgery: The Consultation

Every patient at Apex Veterinary Surgery begins with a surgical consultation. During this visit, our board-certified surgeons review your pet’s history, perform an examination, and discuss any imaging or lab work your primary veterinarian has shared with us. The goal is to determine whether pet surgery is the right path and, if so, which procedure best fits your pet’s specific case.

In some situations, your pet’s surgery can be performed the same day as the consultation. In others, we will schedule the procedure for a future date. Because same-day surgery is sometimes possible, please do not feed your pet the morning of the consultation appointment. Bring any recent lab work, X-rays, or relevant medical records from your primary veterinarian.

The Day of Surgery

When pet surgery is scheduled, here is what to expect on the day of the procedure:

• Drop-off at our Brentwood (Nashville) or Germantown (Memphis) location at the time confirmed during scheduling (if surgery is not performed the same day as the consult)
• Anesthesia is administered by our board-certified surgical team using continuous monitoring throughout the procedure

Communication is a priority. We will call or text you when anesthesia begins and again at the end of the procedure to update you on how it went and to schedule a discharge time, usually later that same afternoon

After Your Pet’s Surgery: Postoperative Care

At discharge, we provide detailed written instructions for your pet’s postoperative care, including:

• Pain management and medication schedules
• Activity restrictions and recovery timeline
• Wound care and what to monitor at home
• Signs of healthy recovery and when to call us with concerns
• Recheck appointment scheduling

Recheck examinations can take place at one of our Apex locations or with your primary veterinarian. If your veterinarian performs the follow-up, we work directly with them by reviewing radiographs and examination findings to recommend any next steps. You will not be left guessing about your pet’s recovery.

Why Choose a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon?

Not every veterinarian who performs surgery is a board-certified veterinary surgeon. The distinction matters when your dog or cat needs complex orthopedic, soft tissue, or neurosurgical care.

A board-certified veterinary surgeon has completed:

• A one-year rotating internship after veterinary school
• A three-year surgical residency
• Published peer-reviewed veterinary research
• A rigorous certification examination

After meeting these requirements, the veterinarian earns the credential Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (DACVS). Both surgeons at Apex are DACVS-credentialed, meaning your pet is in the hands of someone whose training, experience, and ongoing study are specifically focused on surgical outcomes.

If you are searching for a canine orthopedic surgeon or a veterinary orthopedic surgeon near you in Brentwood, Germantown, or anywhere in the Nashville or Memphis metro, Apex serves as the dedicated veterinary surgical referral center for the region. Our surgeons are trained in TPLO, MPL repair, fracture management, and other advanced orthopedic procedures for dogs and cats.

Learn more about board-certified veterinary surgeons at ACVS.org.

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