Preparing your pet for surgery

We understand it can be a worrying time for you and your pet when they have a surgery, whether it be elective or not so here is what happens on a typical day of surgery for your pet;

Your pet will need to be fasted from any food from 9pm the night before, water is ok until first thing the morning.  

When you arrive at our clinic the morning of the surgery, one of our friendly nurses will admit your pet and ask you a few questions, one of these is whether you would like pre anaesthetic bloods done.

This is to check their kidney and liver function prior to the anaesthetic which helps us decide if they are healthy enough to under go an anaesthetic. In some cases it means we may alter or change the medications we administer. 

This is highly recommended for pets over 8 years of age. 

Once we have admitted your pet we then do a health check and administer a sedative or “Pre Med”. This helps to reduce anxiety and gives a smooths transition to the anaesthetic. 

Once your pet has had the procedure and is in recovery, we will call you to let you know how they are and to arrange a discharge time.

Once your pet is home it is important to follow the post surgery instructions to ensure a speedy recovery. 

You will need to keep your pet quiet and comfortable inside for the next day or so as they recover from the anaesthetic and the surgery. 

He/she may have an Elizabethan collar to wear at home until the stitches are removed. It is important that they can not chew the stitches out or lick the wound as this can introduce bacteria to the surgery site therefore causing an infection. 

We will arrange an appointment have their stitches removed in 12-14days after the surgery and to check on how they are doing. This follow up appointment is free of charge. 

If you have any concerns before or after the surgery we are always here to help and answer any questions you may have.