Pre-Operative Care

We understand that bringing in your pet for any procedure is a worrying time for you. It is well documented that there are risks associated to having a general anaesthetic which adds to the worry you will have for your pet.

If you have a dog that is coming in for a surgical procedure, please ensure they are up-to-date with their lungworm prevention treatment. If they are not, the operation may be postponed to allow the lungworm treatment to be administered and the procedure rescheduled for approximately 2 weeks later.

When you booked the appointment, you should have been given an admission form with the date and time of the appointment with the pre-op vet or nurse. If you made the appointment via the telephone, we will have emailed you a copy. The boxes below highlight what you need to do prior to the day of the appointment:

On the day of the operation you will have a pre-operative check with either the veterinary surgeon or one of our qualified nurses. Please allow for time to complete a few questions and for the vet or nurse to go through the day’s procedure with you. If you are unsure at any time, please ask the vet or nurse to clarify the area you are unclear about. It is very important that we understand the current health of your pet so they will ask you a range of questions which may include:

• When did they last eat?

• When did they last drink?

• Has there been any changes in their eating/drinking habits?

• When did they last pass urine/faeces?

• Have there been any changes in their toileting habits?

• Has there been any noticeable weight change?

• Has there been any change in their exercise/mobility levels?

• Have you noticed any changes in the breathing?

• Are they on any medications?

• If yes, what medications and when did they last have any?

• Are they up-to-date on their vaccinations?

• When were they last treated against lung-worm?

There may be other questions relating to specific procedures that your pet is coming in for so please be prepared to provide this vital information.

Once you fully understand what will be happening to your pet, the vet or nurse may ask if there is anything else you would like us to do while they are asleep. This may include implanting a microchip, cutting their nails, emptying their anal glands or cleaning their ears, small procedures which can be better achieved when they are asleep. We cannot administer vaccinations at this time as the anaesthetic can affect the immune system and interfere with the uptake of the vaccination components.

As soon as you are clear on the day’s proceedings for your pet, the vet or nurse will ask you to sign a consent form. This will give us permission to carry out the procedure and any other minor items you have requested. You will also be agreeing to the terms and conditions of payment for the procedure. Please ask the vet or nurse about the anticipated costs for the day if you have not been previously advised. If you are claiming on insurance, please bring a completed claim form with you and a copy of the insurance certificate.

At this point we will take your pet from you and the nursing team will settle them in to their accommodation for the day and make all the necessary preparations for their procedure.

We endeavour to contact all owners by 2pm to update them on their pet’s progress that day. On occasion this may not happen quite as planned as we can be faced with unexpected emergencies at any time of the day. If you have not heard by 2pm, please feel free to contact the surgery on 01424 839010 and ask for an update on your pet.

We will take the very best care of your pet whilst they are entrusted to us, and will take all necessary measures to ensure their procedure goes to plan and their recovery goes smoothly.