Pet Surgery Facts

The surgeons and nursing staff at Macarthur Veterinary Group are all fully trained in all aspects of veterinary surgery. They take great care with each and every patient they treat. We offer the following outline of what will happen through each stage of your pet’s surgery to reassure you that your pet is in very safe hands.

Before Admission:

Please remove your pet’s food bowl at 7:00pm the night prior to surgery, and in the morning remove his/her water bowl by 7:00am.

Admission:

Your pet can be admitted to hospital on the morning of surgery as follows:

Surgery – Admission Hours

Bradbury Between 8:30am – 9:30am
Camden Between 9:00am – 9:30am
Mt Annan Between 9:00am – 9:30am
Gregory Hills Between 9:00am – 9:30am

If this is inconvenient, your pet can be admitted the day before surgery during our evening consulting hours 3:00pm to 7:00pm. Simply telephone the clinic and our receptionist will arrange a mutually convenient admission appointment time.

When you bring your pet to Macarthur Veterinary Group our staff will ask you to sign a treatment admission form in addition to the prepared cost estimate. These forms will also ask you for your contact details during the day of surgery. If you have any concerns about the procedures that will be performed, please discuss these at this time.

Your pet’s weight will be recorded so that the doses of medications can be accurately calculated. Your pet will undergo a physical examination to detect anything that may influence the type or doses of medications that are used. After this examination, your pet will be sedated with medications that relieve anxiety and control pain before, during, and after surgery. (We highly recommend a pre-anaesthetic blood test be undertaken to ensure your pet’s liver and kidneys are functioning within normal ranges and to enable the veterinarian to prepare the safest anaesthetics for your pet.)

Anaesthetic

The veterinarians will determine the optimal surgery schedule for the day. When it is your pet’s turn for surgery, he/she will be anaesthetised using a short-acting drug which allows an endotracheal tube to be placed in your pet’s wind pipe. This keeps the airway clear and permits the anaesthetist to connect your pet to an anaesthetic machine that supplies the gaseous anaesthetic and oxygen during the surgery. Your pet is connected to monitors which record their breathing, heart rate and the oxygen levels in your pet’s bloodstream throughout the procedure. Read more about pre-anaesthetic blood testing.

A trained veterinary nurse supervises your pet and all the monitoring equipment throughout surgery.

Preparation for Surgery

The surgical site will be shaved of hair and your pet’s bladder emptied (if necessary). Intravenous fluids will normally be set up at this time and administered through infusion pumps so that the anaesthetist and surgeon can determine the exact rate of flow.

The surgeon will scrub and prepare for surgery and after scrubbing, put on a sterile surgery gown and gloves.

Your pet will be transferred to the surgery table where he/she will be placed on heating pads to keep him/her warm during surgery. The surgery site will then be cleaned and prepared for sterile surgery.

Surgery

Surgery is performed using individual sterile surgery packs.

The surgeon, a trained surgical nurse and the monitors constantly assess your pet during the procedure. Sometimes a second nurse and/or surgeon may assist with complicated surgeries.

Post Surgery

After the surgery is completed, your pet will be disconnected from the monitors and transferred to a recovery area where he/she will be supervised by a trained veterinary nurse until conscious. Then the endotracheal tube is removed. Your pet will be supervised until he/she is able to stand and walk without assistance.

Once your pet can walk he/she is transferred to our kennel area where the nurses continue to observe him/her for any problems or complications. The surgeon or nurse who was involved in your pet’s surgery will contact you at the completion of the surgery to advise the outcome and to set up a discharge appointment for your pet. Please don’t hesitate to phone us after 3:00pm if you have not already been advised of the surgery outcome.

Prior to discharge

Your pet will be discharged when we are confident that it is appropriate to do so. This may involve your pet staying overnight. When this happens, it is always considered to be in your pet’s best interests. A veterinarian examines all patients prior to their discharge.

Discharge

Reuniting pets with their owners is always a happy and exciting time. Unfortunately, important veterinary instructions may be missed in the excitement.

As a result, we have found that processing discharges in the following order works best:

• The reception staff will ask you to settle your account. Payment may be made by cash, EFTPOS, cheque and all major credit cards. We also offer Vetpay if you require assistance meeting the cost of your pet’s surgery. The application form for which must be approved by our lending institution before admission for surgery.
• Appropriate instructions and any medications that may be necessary will be provided and discussed with you. If the surgeon needs to speak to you directly he/she will do so before your pet is brought from the kennel area.
• The nursing staff will then collect your pet from the kennel area.

Instructions and aftercare

Care of your pet after the surgery will be discussed with you and appointments made for any rechecks. These are an important part of your pet’s recovery.

Stitches are usually removed 10-14 days after surgery. There is no charge for this service.

If you have any concerns about your pet’s condition after going home, please contact the surgery for advice.

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By Macarthur Veterinary Group

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