If you are looking to book a cat vaccination, please be aware that there is an ongoing shortage of some cat vaccines affecting all UK Veterinary practices. Find out more here.

Operations

Preparing for the procedure, and caring for your pet afterwards

'If your pet has eaten on the morning of surgery, or is showing any sign of being unwell, please inform us...'

Before:

Dog Pre-Op

The Evening Before:

Withhold food after 10pm the night before surgery. This ensures that the dog's stomach is empty by the time they're put under general anaesthetic. If your dog has eaten on the morning of surgery or is showing any sign of being unwell, please inform us.

Water can be available to your pet all night.

 

The Day of Procedure:

An appointment has been made to admit your pet with a nurse or vet. They will go through the consent form and will answer any questions you have. Please ensure that you allow 10 minutes for this. Take your dog for a short walk to allow him/her to urinate/defecate.

If your dog is on a special diet, please bring a small amount for use during hospitalisation.

Please give us a phone call around 2:30pm - 3:00pm for a progress report of your dog and to arrange an appointment time for collection, usually between 3:00pm - 5:00pm. Certain surgical and dental cases will require overnight hospitalisation. They will be cared for by a trained veterinary nurse, along with the duty veterinary surgeon.

 

Collection:

Most dogs will go home on the same day as the operation. The nurse/veterinary surgeon will discuss the operation and the aftercare. Written instructions will be given along with any necessary medication. Further appointments will also be booked as necessary.

 

Post-operative Feeding:

For the first 48 hours after an operation, we advise you feed your pet a bland diet. We recommend Royal Canin Sensitivity Diet, which is highly digestible with adequate nutrients to aid recovery after an anaesthetic.

Cat Pre-Op

The Evening Before:

Withhold food after 10pm the night before surgery. This ensures that the cat's stomach is empty by the time they're put under general anaesthetic. If your cat has eaten on the morning of surgery or is showing any sign of being unwell, please inform us.

Water can be available to your pet all night.

 

The Day of Procedure:

An appointment has been made to admit your pet with a nurse or vet. They will go through the consent form and will answer any questions you have. Please ensure that you allow 10 minutes for this. Take your cat for a short walk to allow him/her to urinate/defecate.

If your cat is on a special diet, please bring a small amount for use during hospitalisation.

Please give us a phone call around 2:30 - 3:00pm for a progress report of your cat and to arrange an appointment time for collection, usually between 3:00pm - 5:00pm. Certain surgical and dental cases will require overnight hospitalisation. They will be cared for by a trained veterinary nurse, along with the duty veterinary surgeon.

 

Collection:

Most cats will go home on the same day as the operation. The nurse/veterinary surgeon will discuss the operation and the aftercare. Written instructions will be given along with any necessary medication. Further appointments will also be booked as necessary.

 

Post-operative Feeding:

For the first 48 hours after an operation, we advise you feed your pet a bland diet. We recommend Royal Canin Feline Sensitivity Diet, which is highly digestible with adequate nutrients to aid recovery after an anaesthetic.

Rabbit Pre-Op

The Evening Before:

Feed as normal. Do not starve. If your rabbit is showing any sign of being unwell, please inform us.

Water can be available to your pet all night.

 

The Day Of Procedure:

An appointment has been made to admit your pet with a nurse or vet. They will go through the consent form and will answer any questions you have. Please ensure that you allow 10 minutes for this. Your rabbit may need to stay overnight after the procedure to ensure adequate food and water intake - please bring enough of their own food to last 2 days, along with fresh vegetables if it’s part of your rabbit's normal feed.

Please give us a phone call around 2:30 - 3:00pm for a progress report of your rabbit and to arrange an appointment time for collection, usually between 3:00pm - 5:00pm. Certain surgical and dental cases will require overnight hospitalisation. They will be cared for by a trained veterinary nurse, along with the duty veterinary surgeon.

 

Collection

Most rabbits will go home on the same day as the operation. The nurse/veterinary surgeon will discuss the operation and the aftercare. Written instructions will be given, along with any necessary medication. Further appointments will also be booked as necessary.

After:

Your Castrated Cat

The following instructions are to ensure that your animal has a safe and speedy recovery.

Your cat has had a routine operation to remove his testicles, which requires you to monitor his recovery over the next 48 hours. Once home, give him the opportunity to go to the toilet and then let him settle in a warm, quiet room for the rest of the evening. It is important to keep him indoors overnight to give him time to recover from the anaesthetic. If your cat is already going out, he will be fit to go out again 48 hours after the operation. The area of missing fur on his legs denotes where the anaesthetic has been given. Your pet may also have a slight cough, which is from having an endotracheal tube placed during the operation, which will resolve in the next few days.

A bowl of water should be left down and a small amount of food offered once he is settled. Rather than his normal food, offer him a light meal such as chicken or fish or Hills i/d. If he does not eat within 12 hours of arriving home, contact the vet.

Check the incision wound daily to see if it is looking red and sore. You may notice some swelling in the scrotum; this is normal and should slowly subside over the next few days. Occasional licking of the wound is quite normal but excessive licking of the wound should be prevented as this may cause the area to become red and sore.

You may find the clipped area around the wound looks wet; this is where the sterile surgical preparation was used prior to the operation. You will be provided with an Elizabethan collar to use if you feel it is necessary.

Please treat him gently, especially when lifting him. We do not need to see him again after his operation unless you are unduly worried.

Long-term feeding advice:

After neutering, a cat's hormonal balance changes, causing the metabolism to slow down and their appetite to increase by up to 25%, despite using 30% less energy. This makes neutered cats three times more likely to become overweight, therefore we recommend Royal Canin Neutered Cat.

Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns, we will be happy to discuss them with you.

Your Castrated Dog

The following instructions are to ensure that your animal has a safe and speedy recovery.

Your dog has undergone a routine operation to remove his testicles, which requires you to monitor his recovery over the next 48 hours. Once home, give him the opportunity to go to the toilet and then let him settle in a warm quiet room for the rest of the evening to give him time to fully recover from the anaesthetic. Any areas of missing fur on his legs denote where the anaesthetic drug has been given. Your pet may also have a slight cough, which is from having an endotracheal tube placed during the operation, which is normal and will resolve over the next few days.

A bowl of water should be left down and a small amount of food offered once he is settled. Rather than his normal food, offer him a light meal such as chicken, fish or Hills i/d. If he does not eat within 12 hours of arriving home, please contact the vet.

Check the incision wound daily to ensure the stitches are still in place. You may notice some swelling in the scrotum; this is normal and should slowly subside over the next few days. Occasional licking of the wound is normal but excessive licking of the wound should be prevented as this may cause the area to become red and sore. You may find the clipped area around the wound looks wet; this is where the sterile surgical preparation was used prior to the operation. You will be provided with an Elizabethan collar to use if you feel it is necessary.

Please treat him gently, especially when lifting him. There should be no jumping in and out of cars, onto beds, sofas etc. for the next 3-4 days. Only gentle lead exercise should be given until he has his stitches removed. We would like to see him again in 10 days to remove the stitches.

Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns, we will be happy to discuss them with you.

Your Spayed Cat

The following instructions are to ensure that your animal has a safe and speedy recovery.

Your cat has had her uterus and ovaries removed. This procedure is a routine abdominal operation, which requires you to monitor her recovery over the next 48 hours. Once home, give her the opportunity to go to the toilet and then let her settle in a warm, quiet room for the rest of the evening. It is important to keep her indoors overnight to give her time to fully recover from the anaesthetic. If your cat is already going out, she will be fit to go out again 48 hours after the operation. The area of missing fur on her leg denotes where the anaesthetic drug has been given. Your pet might also have a slight cough, which is from having an endotracheal tube placed during the operation, which will resolve over the next few days.

A bowl of water should be left down and a small amount of food offered once she is settled. Rather than her normal food, offer a light meal such as chicken, fish or Hills i/d. If she does not eat within 12 hours of arriving home, contact the vet.

Check the incision wound daily to make sure the stitches are still in place. Occasional licking of the wound is quite normal but excessive licking of the wound should be prevented as this may cause the area to become red and sore. You may find the clipped area around the wound looks wet; this is where the sterile surgical preparation was used prior to the operation. You will be provided with an Elizabethan collar to use if you feel it necessary.

Please treat her gently, especially when lifting her. We would like to see her again in 10 days to remove the stitches.

Long-term feeding advice:

After neutering, a cat's a hormonal balance changes, causing the metabolism to slow down and their appetite to increase by up to 25% despite using 30% less energy. This makes neutered cats three times more likely to become overweight, therefore we recommend Royal Canin Neutered Cat.

Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns and we will be happy to discuss them with you.

Your Spayed Bitch

The following instructions are to ensure that your animal has a safe and speedy recovery.

Your bitch has had her uterus and ovaries removed. This procedure is routine but is a major abdominal operation, which requires you to monitor her recovery over the next 48 hours. Once home, give her the opportunity to go to the toilet and then let her settle in a warm quiet room for the rest of the evening to give her time to fully recover from the anaesthetic. Any missing fur on her leg signposts where the anaesthetic drug has been given. Your pet may also have a slight cough, which is from having an endotracheal tube placed during the operation, which is normal and will resolve over the next few days.

A bowl of water should be left down and a small amount of food offered once she is settled. Rather than her normal food, offer her a light meal such as chicken, fish or Hills i/d. If she does not eat within 12 hours of arriving home, then contact the vet.

Check the incision wound daily to ensure the stitches are still in place. Occasional licking of the wound is quite normal but excessive licking of the wound should be prevented as this may cause the area to become red and sore. You may find the clipped area around the wound looks wet, which is where the sterile surgical preparation was used prior to the operation. You will be provided with an Elizabethan collar to use if you feel it necessary.

Please treat her gently, especially when lifting her. There should be no jumping in or out of cars, onto beds, sofas etc. Only gentle lead exercise should be given until she has her stitches removed. It is difficult to keep them quiet and rested but please try - especially for the first week.

We would like to see her again in 10 days to remove the stitches.

It is worth remembering that spayed bitches are prone to weight gain as she will no longer be having seasons and therefore using less energy. If you notice her putting on weight, you can easily and successfully control this by simply reducing the amount of food given.

Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns and we will be happy to discuss them with you.

Care of Bandages/Dressings

Your pet has had a bandage applied today. The success of their treatment depends largely on good care of this bandage.

Please check the bandage twice daily to ensure that it is not uncomfortable, too tight or has slipped. There should be no odour, no evidence of ooze from the wound appearing through the dressing and there should be no skin irritation around the top of the bandage. There should not be any swelling of the limb above the bandage.

It is important that the bandage does not become wet or soiled with water, urine or mud. The bandage should be covered with a plastic bag when your pet is taken outside and the bag removed as soon as you return indoors to avoid the foot from becoming overheated. A sturdy plastic bag is available from the surgery on request.

Please discourage your pet from chewing or licking at the bandage. However, constant attention to the bandage may indicate that the bandage is uncomfortable or that there is irritation or pain beneath it and this should be investigated promptly. If there is no medical reason for your pet worrying at the bandage, a Buster collar can be supplied to prevent this.

When you collect your pet, you will be advised when the bandage should be removed or changed. Please make an appointment.

If you have any concerns regarding your pet's bandage, please contact the surgery for advice or to arrange a complimentary check-up.

Rabbits Post-Anaesthetic

Your rabbit has had an anaesthetic today. Please take time to read this handout.

On collection, your rabbit should be awake, alert and preferably eating.

When you get your rabbit home, put them in a clean cage indoors with comfortable bedding (e.g. towels or Vetbed) and newspaper. Do not use hay/straw/shavings as these may irritate any surgical wound.

After an anaesthetic, it is especially important to get your rabbit to eat. Offer food and water as normal, but tempt them with a variety of their favourite food. If your rabbit has not eaten overnight, please contact the surgery for advice.

Please also monitor your rabbit to ensure that they are passing faeces. This is a good indication that their gastrointestinal tract is working normally.

If your rabbit has a surgical wound, please check it daily. The wound should be clean and dry and not causing any irritation. Internal, dissolvable stitches may have been used which do not need to be removed but in some cases, external stitches may be present. We would like to check your rabbit in 7 – 10 days’ time to check the wound and/or remove stitches.

Neutering: If you have two rabbits of the same sex living together, they can be neutered at the same time and then kept together. However, males can remain fertile after castration for up to 6 weeks and so should be kept apart from females during this time.

Fly Control: During warmer weather, attention to fly control is vital if your rabbit has a surgical wound. The hutch should be kept clean and the wound should be inspected twice daily. If fly control is a problem, consider keeping your rabbit indoors until the wound has healed.

If your rabbit has not eaten or passed faeces within 12 hours, seems especially quiet or their wound appears red or swollen, please contact the surgery for advice or to arrange a complimentary post-op check.

Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns and we will be happy to discuss them with you.