Before the Surgery
-Bath your pet-
After surgery, your pet will not be able to get wet for approximately two weeks until their sutures are removed and wound is healed. Bathing your pet before surgery is a good idea to ensure they remain clean and smelling nice.
-Nail clipping-
If you can, please clip the nails of your pet before the surgery date. If the nails are too long on the day of the surgery, we will clip the nails for animal wellbeing and to prevent self-inflicted trauma during recovery from general anaesthesia.
-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 12 midnight the night before surgery. They may have a little bit of water that night to keep them comfortable but please don't leave the water bowl out with them. The day of surgery please don't allow your pet to have any food or water. If your pet accidentally consumes food or water please let us know to avoid any serious complications.
-Blood Tests-
Prior to anaesthesia a veterinarian 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 anesthesia, a pre-anaesthetic blood test can be performed. 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 8 years old are strongly recommended to have blood tests prior to 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. If your pet is not on appropriate parasite control, we can provide this at an additional cost on the day of the surgery.
The Day of Surgery
On the day of surgery, we require your pet to be admitted to the clinic between 10am and 11am. This admission process will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes as you will be asked questions about your animal's health and you will also be required to sign an anesthetic consent form. This form describes that no anesthetic 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
A deposit will be collected during admission in the morning. All outstanding 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 sutures if needed. This appointment occurs 10-14 days after surgery. If you get home and you have any concerns regarding your pet please don't hesitate to get in touch.
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 there. Once at home they need to be kept confined in a warm place to recover.
The team at Atlas Veterinary Clinic and Surgery 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 to discuss any of your pet's needs further.