What to do before and after surgery

Before surgery:

• Make a booking for your pets operation.
• If your pet is a dog, you can wash them the day before surgery as they are then unable to be washed after until the stitches are removed.
• You can give you pet an evening meal as normal the day prior to surgery, but do not leave food out overnight. Water should be freely available to your pet until 9am on the day of surgery.
• A blood test (pre-anaesthetic profile) may be performed prior to surgery to check vital organ function.
• The vet will perform a thorough physical examination before administering an anaesthetic.
•  Intravenous fluid therapy will be administered during most types of surgery.
• To ensure your pet is as comfortable as possible, all pets receive pain relief as part of the desexing procedure, and we may prescribe medication for you to administer at home for a few days after the procedure.

After Surgery:

• Keep your pet restrained and quiet as the effects of anaesthetic can take some time to wear off completely.
• Keeping them quiet is also essential to allow the wound to heal.
• Food and water should be limited to small portions only on the night after surgery.
• Follow any dietary instructions that the vet has provided.
• Ensure all post-surgical medications 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.