Anaesthetics

So your animal needs an anaesthetic to allow a surgical procedure to occur.

Is it risky?

Anaesthetics are not natural things and are not without some risk. At All Creatures we use modern and safe anaesthetics. We actually use anaesthetics that are currently used in humans. We are finding that animals are waking up and recovering much faster and better than they previously did.
The vets will do a check of your animal prior to anaesthetising it to ensure no obvious problems are present. You can also request to have your pet health checked with a blood test pre-operatively. This checks kidneys and liver function as well as checking for diabetes and hypoglycaemia.

Note. We recommend pre-anaestietic blood tests in older pets (over 8 years) or in animals that drink a lot of water. However, we can test younger pets and it is not a bad idea anyway to ensure everything is working well. As well as blood tests, for some higher risk patients or for overly long procedures we will place on IV fluids

Fluids from a drip can help prevent some post anaesthetic problems.

What should you do on the day of the operation?

We suggest that your animal is not fed any food from 9pm the night before the operation. So... no breakfast that morning. It is ok to have water overnight but we suggest removing the water as well in the morning. Please drop your pet off at the clinic between 8.30am and 9am. This may take 5-20 minutes to book in.

We will get you to sign a consent form allowing us to do the procedure. It is of great help to us if you can put a phone number so we can contact you after your pet's procedure. We will try and phone you and advise a time when your pet can go home. If you have a dog we recommend a brief walk prior to coming so they can go to the toilet as they will be in a cage all day. Cats will be given a litter tray upon waking from their procedures. Please ask our nurses or vets about any procedures or worries you might have prior to the procedure. If you have any concerns contact us on 03 94158288 or 90188911.

Will my pet be in pain?

Some procedures can have a degree of discomfort associated with them. We can administer a pain relieving injection. Again on the consent form there is an option you can choose for added pain relief. It costs an additional $15.00. We recommend it for all basic desexings as well as for dentals if extractions are required.

Some pets we may send home with anti-inflammatory, pain relieving tablets, again you can request these tablets if you want a longer course of pain relief. Generally, pets having bone surgeries will get these but some spays and castrations also benefit from them.