· Is your pet vaccinated? · If you normally bathe your pet, will you need to do it in the next week or so? If so, bath now! · Does your pet have a Microchip? If not, now is a great time. · Have you considered pre-anesthetic testing to reduce the risks of surgery? · Remember – No food for your pet after 8pm the night before, they can have free access to water. · Do you have a phone number we can contact you on the day of surgery? If not, who can we contact?
What do I need to think about before surgery day?
Up to date vaccinations? For the protection of our patients we strongly recommend that all pets in the clinic are fully up to date with their vaccinations. At Thompson Veterinary Clinic the only vaccine we require is a Rabies but do recommend all core vaccines such as DHLPP, Lyme, Bordetella, FVRCP, FELV. If your pet is not current on Rabies and is healthy enough to receive this vaccine we will administer the vaccine at the client’s expense.
A safer approach to your pet's anesthetic Although we are using the best and safest techniques, drugs and equipment possible, any type of surgery (whether for animals or humans) poses some risks. These risks are often related to underlying medical conditions that may not be apparent externally. To decrease these potential risks, we highly recommend pre-anesthetic blood testing, particularly for pets six years of age and more.
The panel of laboratory tests checks the function of your pet’s major organs, such as the ability of the liver and kidney to rid the body of drugs and medications. We are also able to identify abnormalities in blood cells which may affect the blood's ability to carry oxygen, fight infection and prevent excessive bleeding during surgery. For more information on the types of blood tests we may run for your pet take a look at the following hand out. Clinic here for more information.
Micro-chipping Is a safe way of identifying your pet for life should they become lost. Now is a great time to consider micro-chipping particularly if your pet’s visit is for routine procedure. Click here for more information.
Bathing Your pet will not be able to have a bath for at least 12-14 days after sterile surgery, therefore if your pet requires bathing we recommend that it be done prior to the day of surgery.
Dental Care A dental checkup may highlight the need for cleaning, polishing, tooth extraction - any of which may be addressed while your pet is anesthetized. Learn more about healthy teeth and gums here. Click here for more information.
What do I need to think about the night before surgery?
The night before surgery your pet must be fasted (withhold food) after 8pm (Pocket pets being the exception, see below). For your pet's safety and well being this is very important, and we ask all family members to make an extra effort to ensure food is not available to your pet. Your pet may have access to drinking water up until the time of admission to clinic.
Rabbits:do not fast prior to surgery. We recommend rabbit patients are admitted to clinic with food from home so they can feed prior to their anesthetic and as soon as they are awake.
Arriving at the clinic
Surgical patients are admitted between 8:00am and 8.30am on weekdays unless there are special circumstances, or you have an appointment with the veterinarian for your pet to be examined prior to admission. Please verify drop off time when confirming your appointment.
When you first arrive at the clinic we will ask you to assist us in completing admission. This includes an anesthetic form unless you have brought this with you pre-filled out. Please provide the best number(s) to reach you if needed and relevant information about your pet. If your pet has recently been ill, and we are not aware of it, we also request that you share this information with us. This is also a good time for you to ask any questions if you are not clear on any aspect of the procedure.
Depending on the type of surgery being undertaken you may also need to see one of our veterinarians to review and share information about your pet’s health.
What happens to my pet in the clinic? Once your pet has been admitted, we will perform a health checkup and administer a sedative. This will help your pet relax and will reduce the dose of anesthetic drugs required.
Most day surgery patients will be ready for discharge between 3pm and 5pm on the day of surgery. We will make an appointment for you to collect your pet and go over any medications however, you can call us at any time during the day for an update on your pet’s progress.
A veterinarian or technician will explain how to take care of your pet at home and provide you with written instructions on any care or revisits required.
Full payment is required at time of discharge. Visit our payment options page to via forms of payment.
Your role on the day of the operation
We are often asked whether or not an owner should stay at home to care for a pet after surgery. If you are considering making special plans to be with your pet, we suggest you take the day off after surgery rather than the day of surgery. Although, pets tend to make a very speedy recovery and this is often not necessary at all.
On surgery day, your pet will be with us for the entire day. Later in the afternoon or evening you will be required to take your pet home. Once at home they will require somewhere warm and comfortable to sleep off the anesthetic. Over the following days you will need to check the surgical wound regularly to make sure it is clean and looks healthy.