DESEXING YOUR FAMILY PET

Desexing Your Family Pet - What you Need to Know

Desexing is a very significant surgical procedure that requires high levels of skill and should incorporate high quality care. Indeed for many animals that live a healthy and uneventful life desexing will be their most significant surgical procedure. For these reasons we feel there is certain information which pet owners should be aware of when their pet is desexed.

Please take a few minutes to read through this very important information. If you have any additional questions please let us know. We are here to help you learn more about how to care for your pet and give you an understanding about what our role is in providing that care. We are confident that what we do really makes a difference for your pet and yourself. If you haven't been on a clinic tour to see our facilities then please let us know.

When can my pet be desexed?

Whilst pets can be desexed as early as 6 weeks of age, we desex most pets between 4 and 6 months of age. Desexing procedures are performed Monday to Friday and in almost all cases your pet is home with you the same night.

Pre-surgical Care

	Admission: Please allow about 10 minutes for this appointment. Our nurse will detail the day's procedure, run through your pet's medical history with you and ask you to answer a series of questions prior to admission.
	Individual Care: On the day your pet is admitted to hospital it is likely to be one of just a short procedure list for the day. Importantly this means that your pet receives close attention and care during its stay with us.
	Intravenous Catheter: An Intravenous Catheter is placed into a forelimb vein prior to anaesthesia to help administer anaesthetic and intravenous fluids and to provide access to circulation during anaesthesia.
	Pre-Anaesthetic Check: All pets receive a TPR (Temperature, Pulse, Respiratory) examination prior to anaesthesia and surgery. We also include a flea check, teeth check, nail clip and ear clean if required.
	Pain Relief: Our veterinarians have done extensive study on the importance of pain relief and are very aware of our role in keeping your pet comfortable during his/her stay with us and once he/she is home. All pets receive pain relief prior to desexing and are provided with pain relief for use at home.
	Blood Tests: We can do blood tests on site prior to anaesthesia to check blood counts and kidney and liver function. A leaflet on this testing is available at our clinics.
	Pre-Medication: This is provided to help allievate stress and pain in your pet, prior to surgery, as well as to assist in good anaesthesia. All drugs are carefully calculated according to physical status and weight and are labelled with colour coded stickers.

Surgical Care

	Intubation: Anaesthesia is induced then maintained with gas by placing a tube into your pet's windpipe. This is a safer form of anaesthesia compared to the use of agents given under the skin which provide little form of anaesthetic control.
	Monitors: Respiratory monitors indicate a breath has been taken, oesophageal stethoscopes allow us to hear your pet's heartbeat and pulse oximeters give a read out of heart rate, pulse strength and blood oxygen levels.
	Charts: Your pet's anaesthetic is charted, recording your pet's heart and breathing rates, blood oxygen levels and all drugs given. This helps us to know how your pet is coping during surgery and provides us with information for future use.
	Nursing: Nurses are on hand at all times during your pet's procedure. Our nurses have achieved various levels of internal and external training and certification.
	Instruments: All surgical instruments are sterilised prior to use, surgical kits are not shared between animals and single use syringes and needles are used for each patient.
	Theatre: Surgery is performed in a dedicated sterile operating theatre complete with heated surgery table to maintain your pet's temperature throughout the operation.
	Intravenous Fluid Therapy: Intravenous fluids are administered during surgery as an animals blood pressure and body temperature can drop whilst under anaesthetic. Intravenous fluids are INCLUDED in the cost of desexing.

Post-Surgical Care

	Recovery Ward: Our new recovery cages are heated, comfortable and in our main treatment area - this means we are with your pet during recovery and can keep a very close eye on your pet during the day.
	Relax: Your pet is in good hands, we'll call you once your pet is awake from anaesthesia.
	Information: All pets have individually prepared discharge information sheets.
	Included: Pre-surgery pain relief, suture removal and a 3 day postoperative check.

Preparation and Aftercare

	Fasting: No food after 8 pm the previous night, leave a water bowl down but remove it first thing in the morning.
	Bathing: Pets can't be bathed for 10 days while sutures are in place, either bath beforehand or we can do that for you.
	Snip n Dip: Includes a free hydrobath after desexing sutures have been removed.
	Discharge: Please allow approximately 10 minutes for your pet's discharge appointment. Our nurse will outline the discharge information and postoperative care of your pet.

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