Surgery Preparation Advice

Before Surgery

• Bath your dog - After surgery, your dog will not be able to get wet for approximately two weeks until their wounds have healed. Bathing your dog before surgery is a good idea to ensure they remain clean and smelling nice.

 

• Fasting - It is important that your pet's stomach is empty before an anaesthetic as the drugs can cause vomiting and lead to an aspiration or pneumonia during surgery recovery. Please do not feed your pet after 10pm the night before surgery. They may have water down overnight. The day of surgery please don't allow your pet to have any food in the morning. If your pet accidentally consumes food please let us know to avoid any serious complications.

 

• Blood Tests - Prior to anaesthesia we will perform a complete physical examination to identify any existing medical conditions that could complicate the procedure and compromise the health of your pet. There is always the possibility a physical exam alone will not identify all of your pets health problems. Prior to anaesthesia, a pre-anaesthetic blood test can be performed and is recommended. Blood tests can reduce the risks of complications as well as identify medical conditions that could require medical treatment in the future.

       Pets over the age of 5 years old are strongly recommended to have blood tests prior to anaesthesia to check the kidney and           liver are healthy to undergo anaesthesia.

 

• Vaccination and Parasite Control - For the safety of your pet and the other patients in our care, it is important that your pets vaccination schedule, worming and flea control is up to date prior to surgery. If you have any questions about your pets vaccination history or appropriate parasite control please contact us.

The Day of Surgery
On the day of surgery, we require your pet to be admitted between 8:00am and 8.30am. This admission process will take a few minutes as you will be asked questions about your animal's health and you will also be required to sign an anaesthetic consent form. This form describes that no anaesthetic or surgical procedure is without some risk to the patient. Every care is taken to ensure the health and safety of your pet -it is our first priority- however, we would be irresponsible not to inform you of the risks involved. If you are uneasy about this procedure or the complications that may arise please contact us for more information. We are here to help.

Fees
All fees and costs must be paid for on the day of surgery before your pet is discharged. 

Patient Discharge
When your pet is discharged you will receive discharge instructions from one of our veterinary nurses. You will also get an email copy of these notes. Please feel free to ask any questions during the discharge consultation. During your discharge consultation, the nurse will book a follow-up appointment to check on your pets wound and remove their stitches if needed. If you get home and you have any concerns please don't hesitate to get in touch. If the veterinarian has prescribed any medications for your pet the nurse will give them to you at the discharge appointment and explain how to give them to your pet and when.

Pet Pick Up
When you pick your pet up they may be tired and groggy. As such, it is important that they are transported home by vehicle and are not expected to walk. Once at home they need to be kept confined in a warm place to recover overnight.

The team at The Visiting Vet take the relationship with our clients and patients very seriously. We want you to feel at ease entrusting us with your furry family member and are happy to answer any questions at any stage in the process. We take pride in the services we provide and look forward to working with you to supplying your pet with the very best of care. Please feel free to call us on 0481 211 876 to discuss any of your pet's needs further.