We understand that it is stressful when your pet comes in for any kind of surgery,
so here is a checklist of the pre-operative measures we take to ensure that your
pet is ready for his or her procedure
- We ask that DOGS and CATS are starved overnight before pre-arranged surgery. This
is to reduce the risk of vomiting under the anaesthetic. RABBITS and RODENTS should
NOT be starved. There is no need to deprive your pet of water.
- We usually perform surgery in the morning, after morning consultations, so that
your pet can be recovered and able to return home the same day. You will
be asked to bring your animal into the clinic first thing, where he or she will be
checked over by a vet or nurse, to ensure they are in the best possible health on
the day. Please tell us of any concerns regarding your pet’s general health at this
time
-Once your pet has been checked, he or she will be admitted to our kennels, where
they are given pre- anaesthetic medication. This will relax your animal, as well
as reducing the amount of anaesthetic he or she will subsequently need. Lots of people
worry that their pet will be stressed and anxious away from them, but the sedation
we give means that they will be calm and at ease.
- In pets aged over 7, or where there are underlying health problems, we may ask
you if you want us to carry out a pre-operative blood test on the day, before we
go ahead with surgery. This allows us to check that your animal’s liver and kidneys
are functioning properly, and that there are no complicating health issues before
we anaesthetise your pet. This is done quickly and easily in the in-house laboratory,
and if the results of the blood test are fine, we will go ahead with the procedure.
If not, we will call you to discuss what to do next.
- We will ask you to call us in the early afternoon to see how your pet is, and we
will give you an appointment to speak to the nurse when you come
to collect your pet.
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