Surgical Admission Protocol
We appreciate that surgery for your pet may be an anxious and stressful experience for both of you. We are pet owners ourselves, so we understand your concerns. Therefore, we have created protocols to ensure that your pet’s surgical procedure is as comfortable and as stress-free as possible. Your pet will be in good hands. Veterinary surgery is as comparably advanced as human surgery.
The day before surgery:
You’ll receive an SMS reminder the day before surgery to confirm your appointment. Please reply to the SMS. If you have any questions or concerns, please call us prior to the appointment.
No food is to be given after 7pm the evening before surgery and no breakfast at all on the day of the surgery. An empty stomach is critical for a safe anaesthesia.
Please bathe your dog before the surgery as they should not get stitches wet for 10 to 14 days after surgery, and it also assists with surgical sterility in theatre.
Please ensure cats are kept indoors overnight (with a litter tray) to prevent them from getting access to food outside.
The morning of the surgery:
Do not allow access to water bowls in the morning on the day of the surgery.
If your pet is taking prescribed medications, give the normal dosage at the usual time unless otherwise advised by your veterinarian. If your pet is a diabetic, please ask your veterinarian for special instructions.
Allow your pet time to empty their bowels and bladder before being admitted for surgery.
Admission:
Every patient that is admitted to hospital will have a nurse dedicated to their care.
If your pet seems unwell, please inform us at the time of admission.
Surgical patients are admitted to the practice between 8:00am and 9:30am on the day of the surgery. Please allow 15 minutes for the admission procedure when you arrive.
Your admission appointment will be with a nurse or veterinarian, during which time they will go through the procedure with you, and you will sign the surgical admission consent form.
During admission, the veterinarian or nurse will talk to you about pre-anaesthetic blood testing. To ensure that your pet will be able to properly process and metabolise any anaesthetic agents, we perform these tests to confirm that your pet’s liver and kidneys are functioning normally and to find hidden health conditions that could put your pet at risk. This is always recommended, regardless of an animal’s age, but particularly for pets over 7 years of age.
Be sure to leave a contact phone number where you can be reached during the day so we can give you a call when your pet is out of recovery and to confirm the discharge appointment. We may also need to communicate with you regarding other aspects of the surgery which may arise on the day.
Discharge:
Your pet’s nurse will be in contact with you to give you an update on the surgical procedure performed and to arrange a discharge appointment to go through any aftercare required. Each patient is sent home with written post operative instructions, which would include the names of your pet’s surgeon and assisting surgical nurse. Please call us any time during business hours if you have any additional questions or concerns.