Surgery

What to do before and after surgery

Before surgery:

• Please make sure to fast your animal for the operation i.e. no food from the around 7pm the evening prior. Water should be available until first thing in the morning.

During the day at surgery:

• Arrive the clinic between 9:30am- 11am for drop off.
• Read carefully and confirm the operation details with the nurse at admission. Raise any remaining concerns.
• Be contactable. Keep your phone with you.
• Call the clinic in the evening after 4pm to get an update of progress.
• Arrange a time to discharge if your pet has recovered well enough to go home. 

Post- operative care at home:

• You should be given a post-operative handout at discharge with specific instructions for your pet.
• Keep your pet restrained and quiet as the effects of anaesthetic can take some time to wear off completely.
• Keeping them quiet and restricting movement are also essential to allow the wound to heal.
• Food and water should be limited to small portions only on the night of surgery.
• Follow any dietary instructions that the vet has provided.
• Ensure all post-surgical medications (if any) are administered as per the label instructions.
• Ensure your pet’s rest area is clean to avoid infection.
• Check the incision at least twice daily for any signs of infection or disruption (e.g. bleeding, swelling, redness or discharge). Contact the vet immediately if any of these occur. Do not wait to see if they will spontaneously resolve.
• Prevent your pet from licking or chewing the wound. Special cone-shaped collars assist with this problem. A single chew can remove the careful stitching with disastrous effects.
• Ensure you return to us on time for routine post-operative check-ups and removal of stitches.