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The first appointment would be a pre-surgery consultation. This is to check that your pet is fit to go under anesthesia and to conduct any pre-surgery blood tests needed. If all is well after the consultation, we can arrange for a surgery date.
After 6 months of age. You can bring her in for spay after the end of heat cycle, an estimated 2 to 3 months. This is to avoid the potential of false pregnancy. During heat, blood vessels will be bigger. Therefore there is an increased risk of mass bleeding, and more time will be taken as we've to be more careful.
Please fast (no food) your pet from 10pm the night before the procedure and on the admission day
Water can be provided as per normal up to the time of drop off, Please do not give any coconut water, chicken broth, milk.
Prior to the date, you will be advised on the timing for the Admission Appointment (8:15am, 8:30am, or 8:45am) with our surgery nurse. The admission appointment will typically take less than 15mins unless there are other concerns.
A pre-payment will be collected during the admission.
Our nurses will be advising you during the admission appointment on an estimated timing of when your pet can be picked up. The discharge appointment timing would be confirmed after the procedure as it is determined by your pet's speed of recovery from anesthesia
It would be advisable to do the procedure separately as taking care of 2 pets after a procedure might be overwhelming.
Mainly:
1) They will need to be kept separate from each other to prevent each other from licking each other's wound
2) No running or jumping
3) They will need to wear the buster collar for the next 10-14 days
4) The wound would need to be closely monitored to ensure there is no pus/bleeding during the recovery period.
Your pet may be less keen to eat or drink after reaching home. Provide small portions of water and food. Do inform us if they are taking in less than 50% of their regular diet even after 24 hrs.
As the anaesthetic wears off, you may see some trembling or shaking, which should settle overnight. Keep them in a quiet, darker area to recover.
The incision site(s) should be dry. Clean the sites as directed with the chlorhexidine solution and some cotton wool from the next day. The wound should have minimal bleeding and swelling. If in doubt, send us a photo over Telegram so that we can advise you.
There will sometimes be a bandage around the arm area where the IV drip was. This can be removed upon reaching home.
A mild cough may result after the procedure, resultant from intubation, which should settle within the next few days.
Please keep your pet from vigorous exercise and excessive jumping. A 5 minute walk to pee and poo as needed to start, and a gradual return to normal exercise after 10 days is usually advised.
Keep the cone collar on for 10-14 days. It can be removed under supervision, but should be left on at night, or if your pet is trying to get at the wound.
You may be asked to schedule an appt to have stitches removed. In many instances, the stitches are dissolvable and under the skin, so there is no need for removing.
We suggest keeping the ecollar on at all times. If your pet is having problems adapting to the collar, or having difficulty eating or drinking with the collar, it can be removed as long as they are supervised. The collar should also be left on overnight and when no one is around. Our nurse/vet will advise you if the e-collar can be removed on the day of the post op check.
The stitches are dissolvable and will usually be absorbed in 6-8 weeks. In this time, there may be mild reaction ( like little bumps ) which should be no cause for concern. Occasionally, you may also feel a plastic-like material just under the skin, which is the stitch itself. Please let us know if there is swelling, redness or discomfort on touching the area.
We recommend bathing your pet only after 10 days or when the stitches have been removed, and keeping the wound as dry as possible after. You may continue to dry bath or spot bath your pet.
As your pet was intubated, there can be a mild cough after the anaesthesia due to the tube, as well as the dry gases during the procedure. This should resolve in 2-3 days, and not cause further problems. If the cough persists, or if appetite is down, please let us know.
You may feed your pet a small meal once it has reached home. Some pets may not have an appetite, especially if the procedure was very long, or they are on a number of pain medications, or if the anesthesia is still wearing off. Small amounts of water can be given, watch for retching. Appetite be picked up by the next day, if not, please let us know if your pet is not eating or drinking anything.
You may wish to get a soft collar for your pet, however just to note that sometimes with the soft collar, they would still be able to reach the incision site. If your pet manages to reach the incision site, we potentially will need to re-suture the site and treat for any possible infections.
Typically, it can take a few days for bowel movement to resume, given the fasting and anaesthesia in the system. If your pet is not straining to go to the toilet, and is still eating and drinking well, then you can continue to monitor and see if something comes out in the next 24-48hrs. If any abnormal signs are noted in the meantime, feel free to reach out.
