Before your pet has a procedure there are a few things that we ask you to do so that your pet is ready to go under a General Anaesthetic. Firstly, you must starve you pet from 8pm the night before their procedure. They can be given water right up until they come to us on the day. Owners are asked to bring with them any medication their animal has been prescribed.
Upon admission please tell us of any health considerations we may not be aware of. Our staff will run you through the steps of what will be done prior to the procedure and will let you know about the protocol for going home. We will ask you to sign an admission form to say that you are happy for us to undergo the named procedure and that you have read this regarding risks related to general anaesthesia for animals.
We will then take your pet through to our kennel room where they can relax. After the vet has done their morning appointments they and the nurses will insert a catheter into a vein on their front leg for ease of access should they need it. We will then use a pre medication to give your pet a smooth induction and recovery. We will then give your pet an induction agent to ease them into an early stage of anaesthesia. We will then place a tube into their trachea and tie it in place. We will then maintain your pet’s anaesthesia with an aesthetic gas and oxygen via a circuit.
The nurses will then clip the area for the procedure should it and they will then clean the area with a surgical scrub that is best for that type of procedure. Your animal will then be moved through to the operating theatre where the procedure will take place. They are attached to a monitor that displays their parameters such as heart rate and breathing rate. There is then a second surgical scrub to the area to maintain sterility of the surgical site. The surgeon will then scrub themselves and put on a surgical gown and gloves ready to perform the procedure. The nurse will monitor your pet’s anaesthesia the whole time they are under.
After the procedure the nurses will monitor your pet whilst they wake up. Your pet will then be put into a kennel and will continue to be monitored until their vitals and reflexes return to normal. Once happy with the progress of your pets’ recovery, the nurse will leave them with a blanket and heat pad if needed.
Throughout the next few hours the nurse will do regular checks on your pet to make sure they are OK and the surgical site is looking good with no problems. Your pet will then be taken outside to go to the toilet or use a litter tray for cats, unless circumstances prevent this from happening. Once the vet has checked over your animal and made sure they are happy with the pet’s condition and awareness they will let the nurses know to schedule a time with you to pick your pet up or if not fully happy with your pets status, it’s best to keep them in overnight to monitor and make sure that your pet is in a fit state to go home. This is quite normal as every animal reacts differently under anaesthesia and some are slower to recover and excrete the drugs that have being given out of their systems.
Near to the time of the going home appointment the nurses will check with the vet and if they are happy with the pets state, then the nurses will remove their intravenous catheter and place a small bandage over the wound to stop any further bleeding. This can be removed 2 hours after going home.
For some procedures a nurse will discharge your pet and speak to you about their homecare instructions. At other times, the vet needs to go over results or findings with you personally. Any medication will be given to you along with any medications you brought in that morning. We will then take your payment for the procedure on the day, unless the vet has arranged an alternative arrangement with you.
