Information

Information for Surgery

When your pet is to undergo surgery you can help us to reduce risk and optimize outcome. No anaesthetic is completely safe but you can reduce risk of complications by following the steps outlined below. The post surgical period, after your pet returns home, is also important in ensuring a smooth recovery.

Please help us make your pet’s surgery as safe as possible by observing the following requests:

1. Do not give your pet anything to eat after 5:00 p.m. the day before surgery. The last normal meal can be given the morning of the day before surgery. Feed only a light meal the afternoon before. Any patient that vomits food after being given their pre-surgical medication will have surgery transferred to another day.
2. Water should be taken up the morning of surgery. Don’t allow your pet to eat or drink on the morning of surgery or they might vomit while under anaesthetic then aspirate and choke.
3. Present your pet at the clinic between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. on the day of surgery.  If this is not possible, please arrange surgery for a day that allows you to drop your pet off during an evening clinic the night before.  This service is at no extra cost!   It takes time for pre-op assessment and medication. Patients arriving at the clinic late may have surgery rescheduled depending on how many operations we have that day.
4. Please pick up your pet between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. unless other arrangements have been made to collect later.
5. Please bring your dog on a leash and your cat in a box and ensure we have a contact phone number for you on the day of surgery.
6. Please feel free to ring about your pets progress from about 1 00 p.m. We will often have contacted you before this with a surgical report.
7. Be prepared for your responsibilities in the aftercare of your pet as stated in the Post-Operative Care sheet provided after surgery.  This information aids in the comfort of your pet as well as speeding up the recovery from the surgery. 
8. Pre-anaesthetic blood testing is mandatory for some patients but for other patients it is always available on request if you would like. It gives your vet more insight as to your pets state of health and suitability for an impending anaesthetic.
9. Your pet should be free of worms and its vaccinations should be current.
10. Please note that fees are payable when your pet is picked up unless prior credit arrangements have been made.

ANY CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR PET’S HEALTH SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN PRIOR TO SURGERY.

If you have any queries about the surgery, please do not hesitate to ring.