After Anaesthetic Care

Your pet's anaesthetic was maintained with Isoflourane, the safest inhalation anaesthetic agent available. Your pet may have a slight cough over the next 24 hours, this may be due to irritation from the tube placed in its windpipe during the anaesthetic. Your pet may have a shaved area on the foreleg, this is where the intravenous anaesthetic agent was injected. Following an anaesthetic, it is best to feed a light diet or a small amount of its normal food. A highly digestible light diet can be provided if you prefer. Water should be provided in small, frequent quantities. Cats should be kept indoors for at least 24 hours following anaesthetic. They may be disorientated and their reactions may be slower than normal. After surgery a slight swelling and occasional discharge is not uncommon. If a large swelling or profuse bleeding occur, please call the surgery immediately. Please check the wound daily. Please discourage your pet from licking, biting or scratching the wound as this can cause infection or premature removal of the stitches. Head collars can be provided if this becomes a problem. Please lead walk your dog until stitches are removed. Try not to let your pet climb stairs or jump. Cats may need to be kept indoors for 2-3 days to restrict their activity.

Your pet's anaesthetic was maintained with Isoflourane, one of the safest inhalation anaesthetic agent available for small pets. This helps minimise the risk. Rabbits may have a shaved area on the ear where the intravenous anaesthetic agent was injected. It is very important to keep your small pet warm. Outdoor pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs should be kept indoors overnight. Maintain a warm ambient temperature in the room where your small pet is housed. Normal food should be provided and fresh drinking water available. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT YOUR PET EATS AFTER AN ANAESTHETIC - ESPECIALLY RABBITS. Please monitor exactly what food is eaten over the next 24 hours and contact us if you're worried. If a dental procedure has been performed, provide grated carrot / dandelions / fresh grass so it is easy to eat. It is also very important to monitor what is passed through the other end! Therefore clean out the hutch and monitor faecal output over the next 24 hours. If no pellets are passed, please contact us as soon as possible.

After surgery, a slight swelling and occasional discharge is not uncommon. If a large swelling or profuse bleeding occurs please contact us immediately. (A small amount of blood is a lot to a Hamster!) Please check the wound daily. If you use shavings or sawdust in the cage/hutch, please remove them and use sheets of newspaper for absorbency and straw/hay for bedding. Shavings can irritate and stick to the wound. Your pet has received 24-hour pain relief by injection. Antibiotics have been given by injection. Please complete the full course of treatment if any has been prescribed. An appointment for your pet's check-up should be made, there is no charge for this! If your pet has stitches, they will need to be removed in 10 days.