It is very common for an owner to feel concerned/worried when booking their pet in for an operation. Here’s some help and guidance as to what will happen on the day of your pet’s procedure to help you relax.
Before your pet’s procedure
Before the day of the procedure, we will give you a ring just to ensure that you are happy with everything and answer any questions you may have. We will also give just a little reminder that food can be given the evening before (no later than 8pm) but nothing on the morning of their procedure for cats and dogs – small sips of water on the morning of the procedure are fine. Rabbits and small furries on the other hand can be fed the morning of the procedure.
The day of your pet’s procedure
On the morning of your pet’s operation we will normally ask that you bring them in between 8:15-8:45am at Bromsgrove and Hagley, and 8:45am – 9am at Rubery for them to be admitted by a nurse, unless a pre-op appointment is required with a vet but you will be advised upon this when initially booking.
Once you arrive at the practice the customer care team will let our nurses know of your arrival, please feel free in this time to help yourself to a drink from our drinks machine and take a seat in our dog and cat-friendly waiting areas.
A nurse will then call you through into a consultation room to go through the consent form, confirm we have up to date contact numbers, confirm the procedure, and talk through what will happen during the day. During admittance please feel free to ask as many questions as you need to as we completely understand how stressful and worrying this time can be. The nurses will also go through a couple of other options that you may wish to consider such as:
- Pre-operative blood tests
- Alternatives to buster collars such as the handy pet shirts that we stock
- Microchipping at time of procedure/operation (if requested)
- Anal gland expression and other services that can be done at time of procedure/operation (if requested)
Admitting your pet into our care
Once you are happy with the procedure and what will happen to your beloved pet the nurse will admit them into our care. We are lucky at Clent Hills Vets to have excellent in-patient facilities and kennel spaces to fit all sized patients, with three different wards to separate dogs, cats, and small furries.
Our dog ward is well designed with air-con facilities, heat pads when required and Adaptil diffusers to reduce stress, and radios to help encourage a calm and quiet environment.
For our feline friends, we are a Gold standard ISFM Accredited Cat Friendly Clinic, and our cattery is designed to reduce stress levels with the use of Feliway diffusers, good-sized kennels with clear doors and hideaway shelters, heat pads when required, and classical music to help keep our patients calm.
We have a dedicated nurse in kennels for the entire day to ensure your pet is well looked after, walked, fed, and of course, cuddled! If your pet needs to stay with us overnight, our dedicated night team are on hand to provide exceptional animal care.
Prepping your pet for their surgery or procedure
The next stage of your pet’s stay is pre-medication. This is an injection given that includes a light sedative to help your pet relax and ensure they are comfortable before their procedure.
Once your pet is relaxed and settled, they will then be taken into theatre by our theatre team for their anaesthetic. Our trained nurses will then monitor the anaesthetic for the entire procedure. At Clent Hills Vets we have excellent surgical facilities with two surgical theatres, a dental theatre, and a specialised x-ray and ultrasound room. We have state-of-the-art anaesthetic facilities and monitoring equipment that gives us extra information throughout the procedure.
After your pet’s surgery or procedure
When the procedure is finished and your pet is in recovery we will give you a ring to let you know that they are recovering from their anaesthetic. They will still be closely watched at this stage to ensure they make a good recovery.
Once your pet is more awake and able to walk, the kennels nurse will take over care again and ensure they get something to eat and drink as soon as they are able to. They will also take the dogs out for a little walk to ensure they get some fresh air and a chance to go to the toilet.
When we ring you to let you know how your pet is doing we will arrange a time with you to come and collect them. The discharge appointment gives you the opportunity to ask further questions that you may have thought of, as well as gives the nurse chance to discuss any home care needs, medications, and further appointments.
Overnight stays and intensive care facilities
In some circumstances, we may advise that your pet stays with us overnight, this can be for various reasons but your vet will discuss this with you should they feel it necessary. If your pet does stay over, we have an excellent night care team at our Bromsgrove practice who will look after your pet throughout the night. A nurse will be on the premises, monitoring and giving medication throughout, with a dedicated night vet on call.
We have intensive care facilities onsite at Bromsgrove including fluid therapy should your pet need them, as well as a range of state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to help our experienced vets diagnose a range of pet health conditions.
Finally, we hope that you find this information useful and helps you to relax regarding your pet’s procedure. Our highly experienced team is on hand 24 hours a day to ensure your pet receives the best care possible.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.