Pet Surgery

Sterile surgical procedures are carried out on a daily basis in one of our 2 large operating theatres. We have the facilities and the expertise to carry out an extensive range of soft tissue, orthopaedic and dental surgeries as well as routine desexing.

We use the latest, extremely safe anaesthetic drugs and equipment.
All of our surgical patients are continuously monitored by experienced and well trained nurses while under general anaesthesia. We also use advanced monitoring devices such as a pulse oximeter and Doppler blood pressure monitors to alert us to any potential concerns.

Patients are routinely placed on intravenous fluids throughout (and sometimes for a period before and/ or after) anaesthesia which assists in maintenance of blood pressure throughout the surgery and improves the body’s recovery from the anaesthetic.

Our surgical staff are attired in full surgical scrubs, hats and mask and the veterinary surgeon will wear a sterile gown and sterile surgical gloves (much like what you would expect in a human operating theatre).

Pain relief is always given to our surgical patients, no matter how small or routine the procedure and is often dispensed for ongoing use at home over the next few days.

Patients are recovered on soft warm bedding under the watchful eye of one of our trained nurses and are usually able to walk back to the hospital ward within half an hour of leaving the operating table!

Most surgical patients (depending on the surgery performed) can be discharged from hospital on the same evening or the following morning. Orthopaedic patients however or patients that need ongoing medical therapy usually need to stay with us for several days. One of our vets will let you know if this is the case.

We do have staff on site at the hospital overnight to monitor and provide additional treatments and pain relief to patients that are required to stay with us.

Before Your Pet has an Anaesthetic and/or Surgery – Presurgical guidelines 

Prior to surgery we advise that your dog or cat be fasted for at least 8 hours. This reduces the risk of vomiting and aspiration problems during the anaesthetic period.

• We recommend that your pet be fed no later than 8pm the night before surgery is scheduled and that any remaining food is removed.
• Access to water should however be available at all times

Fasting does not apply to rabbits, guinea pigs, other small mammals or birds.

• We usually require your pet to be admitted to the hospital on the morning of surgery between 8am and 10am unless otherwise arranged. If this is not possible we can admit your pet between 4pm and 8pm on the evening before the scheduled surgery day at no extra cost.
• Please allow approx 10 mins for the admission procedure as this allows us to discuss any questions or concerns with you before leaving your pet for the day. We also need to confirm correct contact details with you as it is very important that you are contactable at all times during your pet’s stay.
• For your pet’s own benefit we require that they be up to date with their annual vaccination prior to admission.
• If your pet has had any prior problems with anaesthesia or allergies to any medications, please let us know.
• Most animals are able to go home between 4 and 8pm on the day of surgery unless they require ongoing care (ie with complicated soft tissue or orthopaedic surgeries that require in hospital post operative care). We will fully inform you prior to the procedure if we think this will be the case. Please call us at 4pm to see how your pet is progressing. In some cases where we have concerns or pets are particularly old or frail we may recommend that they stay with us overnight for monitoring.

We offer and recommend preanaesthetic testing prior to anaesthesia. If elected we run a simple blood and urinalysis on your pet to give us valuable information regarding their health prior to any procedures. This can sometimes change the course of treatment or medications used and can alert us to any underlying disease processes that may also need to be addressed.

We place every animal on intravenous fluids (IVF) when undergoing anaesthesia. This supports their blood pressure during anaesthesia protecting vital organs any damage due to reduced blood flow. Patients given IVF have a significantly better and faster recovery rate from anaesthesia and surgery than those who aren’t.

For female dogs that are undergoing a spey or desexing operation we recommend that she not be ‘on heat’ or ‘in season’. When ‘on heat’ the blood supply to the ovaries and uterus is much greater than usual and the tissue is much more friable (is fragile and tears easily). Although the surgery can still be performed, it can take longer and carries a greater risk of haemorrhage. We recommend waiting at least 4 – 8 weeks after the ‘season’ finishes to book her in for desexing.