Pre & Post Operative Information

Pre-operative information

Post-operative information

CATS AND DOGS

 

Please starve your pet from 9pm the evening before. Water may be left down overnight, and picked up first thing in the morning.

We ask that you take dogs for a short walk prior to admission to allow them to empty their bladder and bowels. Please bring your dog in with a secure collar and lead.

Cats should be kept in the night before the procedure to prevent them from helping themselves to food from elsewhere and to make it easy to find them in the morning! Please bring your cat into the clinic in a secure carrier.

Please feel welcome to bring any (clean) special blankets/cuddly toys with your pet, if you feel it will help them settle better.

Pre- Anaesthetic Bloods: You may want to consider having a pre-operative blood profile performed prior to surgery. The results of these blood tests may alter various supportive care decisions that are made during your pet’s anaesthetic and surgery, and so optimise the speedy recovery of your pet. These tests may be able to be done on the morning of the operation; however if your admission time is 7.30AM, this may need to be done in advance. Please call the surgery for further information or to arrange. The cost of this pre anaesthetic blood profile is £46.79.

Lungworm testing (dogs only). Lungworm infection is contracted by dogs when they accidentally (or purposefully) eat infected slugs or snails.

As lungworm infection can cause breathing problems and poor blood clotting an infected dog is at much higher risk of serious surgical complications.

For any dog not on routine lungworm medication we recommend a blood test to check for lungworm. This test may be able to be done on the morning of your dog’s operation; however, if your admission time is 7.30AM, this may need to be done in advance. Please call the surgery for further information or to arrange. The cost of this test is £40.42.

RABBITS/GUINIEA PIGS/OTHER SMALL PETS

 

Please do not starve. Your pet must be allowed to eat and drink as normal until you bring them to the clinic. To aid the rapid recovery of your pet, please bring along a small bag of their normal food to eat after the operation, particularly their favourite nibbles. Also bring in their usual drinking container.

Whilst your pet is under an anaesthetic it is an ideal time to microchip him/her so if he/she is not already microchipped please let us know on admission and we can do this while they are asleep. The same applies to clipping claws.

Watch out for any signs of illness not related to the procedure to be carried out and let the vet or nurse know on admission if you have any concerns.

Please inform us on admission if your pet is on any current medications( including over the counter preparations) and let us know when the last dose was given

We will require a contact phone number where you can be reached at all times during the day your pet is with us, and will obtain this on the morning of the operation from you.

Before any anaesthetic or surgical procedure can begin, we must have a consent form signed by the owner or an agent acting on their behalf. This signature will be obtained on the morning of the surgery and must be from someone aged 18 years or over

Please note that payment will be required at the time of collection of your pet from the surgery, unless previously agreed otherwise.

Your pet will be carefully monitored after their procedure, and given further pain relief if required.

You will either be given a time to phone or advised that a nurse will call you to let you know how your pet is getting on. An appointment with a nurse or vet will be arranged for the collection of your pet and to discuss the procedure, and post-operative care.

Post operatively there may be sutures and your pet may need to be kept indoors (if a cat) or have restricted exercise (if a dog). You may be asked to make appointments for post-operative checks and sutures out.

We usually advise that you offer your pet some light food e.g. chicken or fish with rice, so you may want to get this in ready before they come home, or you can ask for some tinned special light diet when you collect your pet.

Your pet has been anaesthetised or sedated and may still be a little sleepy so keep him/her warm and quiet for the next 24 hrs. You may need to keep young children or other pets away during this time.

Your pet may have a shaved patch on his/her foreleg where an anaesthetic injection was administered. He/she may also have a patch of clipped hair on a surgical site. Do not worry, this hair will regrow within 1-2 months.

He/She may also have a slight cough caused by the placement of a breathing tube during the anaesthetic. If the cough persist for more than two days, please contact us for advice.

You can offer your pet food and water as soon as soon as they return home, unless instructed otherwise. It is best to give a small, light, bland meal such as plain boiled chicken or white fish with rice, or we can supply you with a tinned equivalent if you would prefer. Do not worry if he/she is not very hungry, but you should try and encourage them to drink water little and often.

Sutures

Your pet may have sutures in which case they will either be Sub-dermal sutures (will not be visible and will dissolve) or external sutures in which case they will need an appointment for these to be taken out.

Wound care

If your pet has had surgery please check your pet’s wound daily for any excess swelling, irritation or wound discharge, and contact us if you do see this.

The wound should be kept dry for up to 2 weeks, and your pet should be prevented from licking it. If you think he/she will lick or chew at the wound please ask us for a Buster collar or a special pet onesie to protect the wound.

Bandage Care

If your pet has a bandage please check the dressing twice daily. If there is any damage, moistness, swelling, chafing, discharge, smell or if your pet suddenly become very bothered by the dressing, please report this to us as soon as possible.

It is very important the dressing is kept dry. You can cover the dressing with a plastic bag for walks outside but they must not be left on for long periods of time. Ensure that your pet does not chew the dressing. We can provide Buster collars if you think he/she will chew it.

Exercise restriction

For many procedures we will advise restricting exercise for a period post operatively. You will be advised of this when your pet is discharged.

Bitch Spays/ Dog castrations

Following neutering, male and female dogs can have a tendency to put on weight. We suggest that you may want to try a lighter version of your dog’s normal diet (or one specifically for neutered pets).We also recommend bringing your dog in for regular weight checks with our nurses (they’re free of charge too!)

Concerns

Please contact us on 023 80406215 if you have any concerns at all, or if you notice any of the following:

Excessive swelling of the operation site

Excessive bleeding or discharge

If your pet is not eating normally by the following day

If your pet is generally unwell or off colour

If your pet appears to be in a lot of pain or is very uncomfortable