Emergency 01522 262582
Out of hours 01522 262582
Friars Lane Surgery 01522 534841
Birchwood Surgery 01522 694275
Wragby Road 01522 535942

Operations

What to expect

For routine operations, animals are usually admitted between 8:30 and 9:30am at Friars Lane (8:00 and 9:30am at Birchwood and Wragby Road). We can admit animals at other times by arrangement. At this time, you will be asked to read and sign a consent form. If there is anything on the form you do not understand or disagree with, please tell us immediately. If you have any questions, or would like a detailed estimate of costs, please feel free to ask the vet or nurse at this time.

Most animals have their operations in the morning and will be ready to go home the same day. Please ring the surgery to check whether your pet is ready before you come to collect him/her. The best time to ring is after 3:00pm.

Animals may be collected until 6:00pm each evening, although you may be asked to come earlier if your vet needs to discuss any findings or results with you.

Most routine operations are performed under general anaesthesia and this requires starvation of your pet prior to admission. Unless advised otherwise by your vet, you should not feed your pet after 7:00pm the night before they are to be admitted and take the water bowl away first thing the morning of the operation - give your pet nothing to eat or drink until after the operation.

In the case of cats, you must keep them indoors the night before their operation and supply them with a litter tray if necessary. If you have a dog, please take them for a short walk to encourage them to empty their bowels and bladder before you bring them to the surgery.

We do expect payment for any work done at the time that you collect your pet. (See our policies.)

All surgical procedures carry a risk of complications. These are often relatively minor, but there is always a small risk of potentially life-threatening complications, which you may want to discuss with us in advance.

After An Operation

Most pets will be well enough to go home on the same day as their operation. They will be conscious but often a bit sleepy. It would be unwise to offer your pet a heavy meal as soon as you get it home. Offer it water initially and if this causes no problems, give it a small meal of its usual food, unless you have been given more specific advice about feeding. Keep your pet quiet and warm, but not hot. Take your dog out to the toilet but keep it on a lead and only walk the minimum distance to achieve the purpose of the outing. Keep all cats in overnight until they have fully recovered; you may have to provide a litter tray.

Try to keep bandages and dressings clean and dry, sometimes you might have to put a bandaged foot in a plastic bag if the grass is wet. Check all bandages and dressings daily for signs of chafing, movement, swelling of the tissues around it or nasty smells. If in doubt, make an appointment to have the bandage checked as soon as possible.