Surgery Team Stations
Animal Balance MASH clinic protocols are in accordance with the AVMA Standard protocols, which are
attached. This document is a guide for your MASH set up. It will vary depending on your building/location and
your team’s skills and experience. You will treat all non-socialized dogs as you would feral cats; no awake nonsocialized dogs outside their cage.
1. Instrument Cleaning Set Up Tasks and Responsibilities
Staff:
One volunteer. Set up cleaning station table close to the surgery station.
Set Up Tasks
1. Review cold sterile procedure
2. Set up instrument cleaning station for instruments and E-tubes
3. Supplies needed – buckets, bleach, distilled water, gloves, Benz-all cold sterile, instrument milk, cleaning
brushes, autoclave tape and masking tape, indicator strips.
Responsibilities:
1. Review cold sterilization procedure and mixing of Benzall
2. All packs need to be properly cared for and kept separate for each DVM. Each DVM will supply 2 packs, marked.
3. Review how to dis-assemble a pack, clean the instruments reassemble pack, soak in distilled water, clean with
bleach, rinse in distilled water, soak in instrument milk, place in cold sterile solution /autoclave.
4. Review how to clean ST tubes (inflate cuff, soak in bleach water, rinse in distilled water, air dry)
2. Surgery Team Set Up Tasks and Responsibilities
Staff
2-3 Veterinarians, one of whom is the Medical Director.
3-4 Animal Technicians, one of whom is the Lead Technician. The prep station is next up next to the surgery station in a
well-lit, quiet area with good ventilation. The surgery station is next to recovery (within calling distance).
Generally, 2 techs handle induction and prep as a team and the other techs are assigned a vet/sx table to work with. You
can rotate as need be and base your positions on experience and skill level.
Set-Up Tasks
1. Review Paperwork-Registration Sheets (Medical Information Pre-Op and Intra-Op), Anesthesia Logs, Drug Log,
Post-Op Meds, Discharge Instructions
2. Post the K9T dosage chart on the wall
3. Set-Up Clinic-Surgery Tables (Gas Anesthesia Machine Tables and Injectable Tables), Prep Tables, Drug
Drawing Station and Pharmacy Area
4. Set-Up Anesthesia Machines
5. Assemble Crash Cart and Select Designated Location
6. Set-Up Pharmacy and Drug Drawing Station
Responsibilities
1. Review Surgery Schedule and Surgery Flow
2. Review Anesthetic Protocols-Gas and Injectable – K9T
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Review Location of Crash Cart and Contents and Emergency Protocol
Review Patient Tattoo Ink, Cage Labels, Collar/Duct Tape IDs
Review Pharmacy/RXs
Review DVM Responsibilities-Registration/Vet Heath Check, Surgery, Recovery, Release
Inventory/Packing/Use of Supplies and Limited Resources. Report any items as low before they run out.
Prep Station:
1. 2 Techs: Give pre-med injection. Utilize syringe poles and/or squeeze cage (poles through cage) for nonsocialized dogs. Do not remove the dog from the cage under he/she is sedated. Use same precautions as when
working with feral cats. Pet dogs can be restrained and given the pre-med
2. Remove dog from cage when sedated, intubate, prep dog for sx, put duct tape with dogs number on head.
3. Decide if you need to put in a catheter – only for dogs in need of extra support.
4. Fill out Prep station section on the registration form and take dog to sx table with paperwork.
Surgery Station:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Per AVMA standards, surgically sterilize the dog.
Fill out surgery station section on registration sheet
Tattoo the dog by the site and in the ear.
If the dog has other injuries, treat where possible with supplies in clinic.
If surgery staff are more comfortable giving the Penicillin, DHLPP and Rimadyl to the dogs, then they can do it,
rather than recovery, it depends on the skill level and experience in recovery. The goal is that they are
administered to the dogs in the safest way, for your team.