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Instructions for pets coming in for anaesthetics

If your pet is scheduled for an operation or procedure which requires a general anaesthetic (GA) it is important that you are aware of what will happen, and the steps we take to minimise the small risk involved with any anaesthetic.

Feeding
It is essential that all pets have an empty stomach prior to a GA, so please don’t give your pet anything except water from midnight the evening before the anaesthetic.

Small pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, rats etc. do not need to be starved. Kittens under 4 months of age coming in under the Early Neutering scheme can have a small breakfast.

Fluids
Allow your pet free access to water only (no milk or other fluids) all night until time of admission.

Cats
Please keep cats indoors overnight. This ensures they are starved and also means they cannot go missing in the morning!

Dogs
Please ensure your dog has had a short walk or plenty of opportunity to completely empty their bowel and bladder.

Admission to the Hospital
This is between 7.15am – 9.30am at the Eastcott Veterinary Hospital in Edison Park, Dorcan Way SN3 3FR. A nurse will call you into the admitting room and you will be asked to carefully read then sign a consent form agreeing to the GA and the procedures listed. The nurse will then weigh your pet, answer any questions or concerns you may have and sometimes will administer a pre-medicant injection (to relax your pet).

Kennelling
Once admitted your pet will be transferred to an individual kennel where he/she will stay before and after the GA. If you wish to see the kennels and operating areas please make an appointment for a short guided tour of the Hospital one evening prior to admission.

Risks of General Anaesthesia
We are proud of the great care we take in administering and monitoring anaesthetics. As a result complications are rare. Older and sick animals present an increased risk of problems and if existing medical problems are known we will take certain precautions such as pre-anaesthetic ECG (electrocardiogram) or choosing different anaesthetic agents. The pre-operative blood test has been invaluable to us in avoiding serious anaesthetic problems. Small patients such as (rabbits, guinea pigs, rats etc) are also at a higher risk.

Pre-operative blood tests
Some animals can appear healthy but have medical conditions you, and we, are unaware of. Because of this we offer a pre-operative blood test to check for otherwise undetected problems relating especially to liver and kidney disease but also early diabetes. The test is performed on the morning of the anaesthetic and will not delay the operation. This blood test is available for all patients but is actively advised in animals over 7 years of age.

Other procedures under GA
It is advisable to take advantage of any GA, so if there is any additional procedure that can be reasonably performed alongside the scheduled operation then please ask for this to be done on admission. Examples of this are nail clipping, grooming and microchipping in certain cases.

Estimate of costs
We encourage you to request estimates of any operation or procedure(s). If you have not already been given an estimate of cost or have asked for further work to be performed, then please ask for one.

We understand that bringing your beloved pet to us for an operation or procedure, especially one that involves a general anaesthetic, is a very worrying event and we do all we can to make the visit as stress free as possible. We encourage you to voice any concerns you may have so that we may be able to ease your worries. Please do not hesitate to ask the nurse on admission about any aspect of your pet’s treatment or mention anything that you may consider relevant to the treatment.

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Eastcott Vets

Edison Park Clinic & Hospital, Hindle Way, Dorcan Way, Swindon, SN3 3FR

(You may need to use SN3 3RB for sat nav)

Tel: 01793 528341

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Eastcott Vets

Bath Road Clinic, 59 Bath Road, Old Town, Swindon, SN1 4AU

Tel: 01793 528341

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Eastcott Vets

Cricklade Road Clinic, 6 Clive Parade, Swindon, SN2 1AJ

Tel: 01793 528341

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