A small run down on what happens the day your pet has a General Anaesthetic.
Pre-Surgical involving a General Anaesthetic Information
The following information has been put together to make the surgery day as easy and stress free as possible.
1. Withhold all food and treats from 8pm, on the night before your pet’s surgery. Water may be left out for your pet during this time.
2. If your pet is getting any medications, please withhold them on the morning of surgery unless your vet has advised you to do otherwise. If your pet is diabetic, give half the usual morning dose of insulin.
3. All pets entering the clinic for a procedure are required to be current in their worming and vaccination. Please advise us if your pet is not up to date and in most cases we can update them on the day.
4. The morning of surgery your pet should be dropped off between 7.30am and 9am unless other arrangements have been made.
5. On the day of your pet’s surgery you will be required to review and sign an authorisation/estimate form which details the procedure being performed and an estimate of costs. The form will also have your contact details; you will be required to designate which phone number(s) we can reach you on, on surgery day. Failure to be reached on the day of surgery may result in postponement of the surgery. We recommend that one family member be allocated as the primary contact so there is no confusion during the day. It is important to check that all the information on the form is correct.
6. We routinely perform a full physical examination on all pets going under anaesthesia. We strongly advise that a pre-anaesthetic blood profile be performed to maximize patient safety, particularly in the more mature pet. Changes on this profile can alert us to such conditions as, dehydration, anemia, infection, diabetes, kidney and liver disease all of which could complicate the procedure.
7. The Veterinarian will also place your pet on IV fluids during your pet’s surgical procedure, this supports the circulatory system, prevents dehydration, protects the kidneys and aids in a quicker recovery from the anaesthetic.
8. After recovery from anaesthesia, we monitor your pet for a minimum of 3 hours to ensure they have no post-surgical complications before they are allowed to be taken home. You are welcome to call and check on your pet’s status, however, after your pets procedure is finished, your veterinarian will call you to let you know how, the procedure went, and when you can pick your pet up.
9. At the time of discharge you will be instructed on the aftercare, and if any medication is dispensed, this will be detailed to you.
We hope surgery day will be a pleasant experience. We know surgery can be an anxious time and we are always available to answer any and all questions concerning the upcoming procedure. Please do not hesitate to contact us.
