We have clean and comfortable hospitalisation facilities for animal staying as in-patient as well as those staying as a day patient. Owners are always free to visit their pets during their stay.
Operation
Today your pets need to be hospitalised for an operation and if the only thing you ever have been to the vets for is an annual vaccination, it can be daunting.
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At the Bishops we use the safest anaesthetic procedures including pre-operative blood tests and the most modern anaesthetics. Constant anaesthetic monitoring of your pet occurs throughout its operation. You should bear in mind that, with the modern anaesthetics and post-operative medications we use, pain can be controlled even after major operations. Furthermore, at the Bishops your pets will have a pain relief program that is second to none. |
Don't forget, tell the vet if you are unsure about anything. Explaining things is part of the job.
Pre-operative Guidelines
Routine operations are performed from Monday to Friday.
Cats and dogs being admitted for an operation should not be fed after 8pm the night before surgery, however water should be made freely available overnight and should be removed in the morning. Rabbits and small mammals (e.g. rats, mice) are not to be starved before operations.
Patients are admitted between 8am and 9.30am. We usually ask owners to phone about 2pm to find out the expected time of discharge. If this is not known, then at the very least the owner can get an update on their pet (we really do appreciate that most owners are getting quite anxious by then). Most patients are discharged the same day between 4.00 and 7.00pm unless we feel it is necessary to observe them overnight.
Pre-anaesthetic blood tests, why do we recommend them?
A pre-anaesthetic blood test measures the level of seven substances normally found in your pet's blood. Abnormal levels can indicate problems with liver or kidney function. Apparently healthy animals can sometimes have a low-grade underlying problem with their liver of kidney function without showing any signs of illness.
Heavy sedation or a general anaesthetic can worsen any underlying liver or kidney problem and result in illness developing sooner than would happen if the anaesthetic had been avoided.
Identifying a problem prior to administering an anaesthetic allows us time to treat any underlying problem or to take additional precautions during anaesthesia to minimise future problems. The older your pet is, the more likely her or she is to have an underlying problem. Therefore in cats and dogs 7 years or age and older (5 years in giant breed dogs) we would consider a blood test to be of the utmost importance.
Post-Operative Care of Your Pet
A clipped area may be present on one of his forelegs (the anaesthetic injection site) and another clipped area may be present on the side of the neck (the blood sampling site). Minor bruising may be present. The hair will usually grow back in 4-6 weeks.
Your pet may appear drowsy, this should wear off during the next 24-hours. Your pet will also have had painkillers to keep it comfortable post-operatively. An occasional cough may be heard as an endotracheal tube was placed in your pet's windpipe during the anaesthetic. This will resolve over a couple of days.
Food and water may be offered in small amount this evening but may not be wanted until the day after surgery. We recommend restricted exercise only until the stitches are removed. Excessive exercise may cause marked wound swelling and oozing. Stitches are normally removed 10 days after the operation. Please organise an appointment to have the wound checked and the stitches removed, ideally before leaving the clinic.
What to Watch for
If your pet is repeatedly sick or you have any other concerns about your pet's condition please contact the clinic.
Do not allow your pet to lick the wound excessively. If you have difficulty preventing this, please contact the clinic for advice.
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