The day before: Feed you pet normally throughout the day but withdraw food from 9pm on the day prior to the scheduled anaesthetic. Water should be available overnight but withdrawn on the morning of the anaesthetic. NB this does not apply to rabbits, guinea pigs and small animals which should be fed as normal and not starved.

Dogs and Cats: It is helpful if dogs are walked on a lead the morning of the operation, to allow them to empty their bladder and bowels. Please try not to let them get too dirty! Cats are best kept indoors overnight so there is no risk of them not coming home, or of eating anything.

Morning of the anaesthetic: Please arrive at the surgery between 8.30am and 9.30am, and allow about 10 minutes for us to go through the consent form etc. with you before admitting your pet.

Pre-anaesthetic blood test: We offer this to all pets being admitted for an anaesthetic, but particularly recommend for those over 7years of age. The blood test is run (in-house) on the morning of the anaesthetic (only available at the TORQUAY branch, if procedure it being performed at Paignton and you would like the blood test, then it needs to be booked 24-72hours prior). We run a biochemical and volumetric blood test to establish organ function. When an animal is having an anaesthetic, we are particularly concerned with liver and kidney function, so this blood test can help to determine, with greater accuracy, how you pet will cope with the anaesthetic procedure and also allows us to use the information in the longer-term medical management of your pet. Abnormalities found on the blood test may alter our choice of anaesthetic agent or recommendations for your pet. Unfortunately many people are restricted by financial restraints and cannot afford additional costs. It is for this reason we allow you to select the pre-anaesthetic blood test or not. However, we RECOMMEND ALL MIDDLE AGED/OLDER ANIMALS to have this blood test.

Costs: you will be asked to read and sign a consent form prior to admitting your pet for surgery. You will be given an estimate for the procedure. Pleas be aware that this is just an estimate and that the final bill could be in excess of this figure. While we endeavour to keep within estimate, complications can arise which may involve further costs and we aim to keep you informed of any additional costs.