Pre procedure advice for your pet

The following advice is for pets coming to visit us for a procedure requiring a sedation or a general  anaesthetic.  It is just general advice, please contact us directly if you have any questions or if your pet has any specific health concerns.

Admissions for emergency procedures may vary so please follow the vet’s advice directly.

If your pet is on daily medication, please contact us so we can advise you whether to give this the day of their procedure.

Very young animals will need fasting for a shorter time, please contact us for specific advice for your pet’s age and stage.

Adult Dogs

We generally recommend dogs are fasted for 9-12 hours prior to admission.  Please ensure any food or treats are taken away by midnight the night before their procedure (approximately 9 hours before admission).  Your pet should have access to drinking water until they are brought in to us. Please ensure your dog has had an opportunity to toilet the morning of the procedure and that they are clean.  Ideally dogs should be bathed a day or two before surgery, however we understand this is not always possible.

Adult Cats

We generally recommend cats are fasted for 9-12 hours prior to admission.  Please ensure any food or treats are taken away by midnight the night before the procedure (approximately 9 hours before admission).  We recommend keeping cats indoors the night before they are admitted so they do not have the opportunity to find food in the fasting window.  Please ensure your cat has access to a litter tray at this time. Your pet should have access to drinking water until they are brought into us.

Rabbits and Guinea Pigs

Rabbits and guinea pigs should have constant access to food and water.  There is no need to fast them prior to a procedure. Please ensure they have access to food and water sources overnight and give them their breakfast as usual the day of their procedure.  We keep food and hay on site, however some owners choose to bring a lunchbox/bag of their pet’s preferred food/greens.  If you  do so please label with your pet’s name and bring this with them on the day of admission.

Rats, hamsters, gerbils and other rodents

These patients do not need to fast before their procedure.  Please feed them as usual including their breakfast and make sure they have access to food and water at all times.  We do keep food for these patients on site, however we do ask you to bring a small lunchbox/bag of their favourite foods to help aid in their recovery.

Ferrets

Ferrets generally require a fasting window of about 4 hours prior to surgery, however it can vary depending on their age and procedure.  As a general rule we would recommend removing access to food around 6am on the day of their procedure, however it is best to contact us directly and we can advise you on when to remove access to food as it will depend on the scheduled time of their procedure.  Please provide drinking water at all times and do not fast overnight. We do keep appropriate food on site, however, we also ask you bring a small lunchbox/bag of their favourite foods to help aid in their recovery.

Birds and Reptiles

Please contact us as advice will vary due to species, condition, etc and we will advise you further.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact us on 01708 344455 or 01708 458424