Aneasthetic Advice for Cats - Factsheet

We will be using a general anaesthetic when your cat comes in for the day. On occasions we may also use a sedative. In either situation, the aim is to achieve anaesthesia as safely and comfortably as possible, and to ensure that the patient is fully awake when collected.

Before You Arrive

Please don't feed your cat on the day of the operation. An empty stomach is recommended for anaesthetics so that the patient isn't sick afterwards. In other words - NO BREAKFAST!

Water can be left available until they are admitted. This prevents them from becoming dehydrated, and is especially important for cats older than eight years. (Milk should be avoided because the proteins and fats in it may cause sickness).

When You Arrive

- Your cat will be admitted by a veterinary nurse and you will be able to see the pen where your cat will be staying.

- You will be asked to sign a consent form, giving us permission for the procedure or operation. Please read it through! We will happily supply a copy if asked. We will also give you an assurance form that will give you more details about what we will or won't do without your permission.

Keep in Contact!

- We operate on several patients each day, so there may be a delay before your cat's turn. Please don't be alarmed – we do check all our patients regularly and supply litter trays for if they need to relieve themselves.

- Please make sure that we can contact you throughout the day. Give us as many phone numbers as you like, so long as we can get hold of you if we need to.

- We routinely contact you when the procedure or operation has just finished. At that time we will also be able to tell how things went, and when your cat will be ready to go home.

Collection…

- We appreciate that you will want to see your pet as soon as possible. However we have found that they often get upset if they then have to hang around in their basket whilst fees are settled and follow-up appointments are made. Therefore we recommend that you sort out the 'paperwork' as soon as you arrive.

- You will be given details about aftercare either by the nurse who assisted during the operation or by the veterinary surgeon.

Aftercare

Don't expect too much too soon – although the anaesthetic will be over the sedative and some painkillers can make the patient sleepy for a while. This is not always a bad thing. You may find that your cat has a quiet meow and may be slightly 'chesty'. This is not uncommon, and is due to the breathing tube used during the anaesthetic. However if you are concerned then call the duty veterinary surgeon for advice - it is better to be safe than sorry. Details of feeding will be given when you collect your cat. You may be asked to use a special diet for a day or so to aid recovery.

We like our cat patients to stay inside overnight. Please have a litter tray handy. Check with the nurse when your cat can go out safely. We routinely check our patients after two days. The fee for this is included, and it is really a matter of finding out how things are.