Surgical Services

Anaesthesia

We are fully aware of the risks of anaesthesia and we take it very seriously.  Although the risk is extremely slight with the precautions that we take, it increases as our pet’s age and develop other health problems. For this reason, we are careful to examine each patient prior to anaesthesia and tailor our anaesthetic regimes to suit their needs. We use the safest anaesthetic agents available in Veterinary medicine, some of which are the same as you would have when anaesthetised in hospital. For additional safety every patient is placed on intravenous fluids throughout their surgery to support their heart and kidney function. During anaesthesia we have equipment that continually monitors our patient’s  heart rate, ECG, blood oxygenation, respiratory rate and temperature. A qualified Veterinary Nurse monitors each anaesthetic and records an anaesthetic chart for every patient.

Pre- anaesthetic Blood Testing

We offer and recommend pre-anaesthetic blood testing as a precaution for all patients. This enables us to examine the animal’s body for internal problems that may cause complications with the anaesthetic or recovery. Such problems may be hidden and not obvious externally, despite a physical examination. This further ensures safety with anaesthesia. Blood testing is generally performed on the day of the anaesthesia.

Pain Relief

We consider analgesia (pain relief) a vital part of any surgery that we perform. For this reason, we routinely administer pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative pain relief to ensure that your pet has minimal discomfort. This also reduces their stress levels and the doses of anaesthetic required, making the whole process safer.

Pre Operative Instructions

If your pet is schedule to have surgery please follow the below instructions:

• Fasting – Your pet will need to be fasted after 8pm the night before, so no breakfast in the morning.
• Water – Your pet can have access to water at all times.
• Admission – Admission is generally between 8am and 10am. An appointment helps speed up the process and enables us to be ready for your pet. An appointment will be booked when you schedule the surgery.
• Toilet Walk – Please if possible take your dog for a short walk before they enter the clinic so that they can go to the toilet if required.
• Late Admissions – If you think your pet is going to be stressed in hospital we can usually arrange for a late admission. Please discuss this with the nurse prior to the surgery day. In some cases we can arrange for a nurse to phone you 30 minutes prior to the start of surgery so that you can drop your pet off just as we are preparing to start.
• If your pet is currently on medications, please consult with us as to if these medications should be given on the day of surgery

Post Operative Instructions:

• Once your pet is discharged from our clinic there is some after care information that you should know.
• Feeding – Your pet has received a general anaesthetic which may cause your pet to have some nausea and experience some vomiting. It is generally fine to feed your pet a small meal in the evening when you get home, however if your pet is not interested in food or vomits then withhold food until the following morning. If your pet continues to vomit the next day please withhold food and contact the clinic.
• Activity – Please keep your pet quiet, dry and warm for the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. It is normal for your pet to be quieter than usual for the first 24 hours during recovery. If however you are worried at any point during the recovery period please contact the clinic.
• Pain relief – If your pet has received a pain relief (anti-inflammatory) injection after surgery, this should keep your pet comfortable while they are recovering. The injection lasts for 24 hours and usually this is enough to see them through routine procedures. If you feel your pet is uncomfortable or irritable after this time please call the clinic and more pain relief can be dispensed. Symptoms of pain can include panting or heavy breathing, restlessness, holding their tummy muscles tightly, chewing at the surgical site and not eating or drinking.
• Discharge – If there is any discharge from the surgical area this is abnormal. Please call the clinic.
• Swelling – Mild swelling can be normal around or under incision sites and may increase over the first 48-72 hours. If the swelling persists or continues to get larger please call the hospital.
• Suture Care – Your pet may have sutures in after their surgical procedure however most surgical sites are closed with intradermal sutures. This means that all the sutures are below the skin surface. This reduces the chance of your pet removing the sutures themselves and also means that there is no annoying suture removal. It is important in all cases to keep the surgical site clean and dry at all times. This will limit the chance of infection in this area. If your pet has sutures that do require removal you will be informed of when to bring them in for removal however the usual times is between 10-14 days.
• Drain Care – If your pet has a drain placed near their surgical site it is placed to allow excess fluid to escape the surgical area. You can help by applying light pressure with warm damp hand towels and massaging the area. Clear fluid should be escaping (draining) around the drain hole.  If the discharge becomes cloudy and/or has an odour a recheck will be necessary. Drain removal will be advised by your Veterinarian at time of discharge from our hospital.
• Bandage Care – If you pet has a bandage it is important to keep the bandage dry and clean. You can place a plastic bag over the bandage if your pet wants to go outside to the toilet to keep it clean and waterproof. The plastic bag should not be left on for longer than 10 minutes and should be removed as soon as you come back inside. Bandages should be changed and the wound checked at least every three days
• Analgesia Patches – Analgesia patches are small patches applied to the skin that allow for slow continuous pain medication to be delivered to your pets body. They generally deliver medication for up to 72 hours.  It is important to keep the patch away from direct heat like heat mats and hot water bottles as this speeds up the delivery of the pain medication. During your pets recheck the Veterinarian will remove the patch.